Long-tailed Skipper
Urbanus proteus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Pyrginae
Identification: Tails are long. Upperside is dark blackish brown; body and wing bases are iridescent blue-green. Males have a costal fold enclosing scent scales on the leading edge of the forewing. Dark row on underside of hindwing is a complete band.
Wing Span: 1 3/4 - 2 5/16 inches (4.5 - 6 cm).
Life History: Adults roost upside down under leaves and limbs. To seek females, males perch 3-6 feet above the ground in sunlit openings. Females lay eggs under leaves in clusters of up to 20. Caterpillars feed on leaves and live in shelters of rolled leaves.
Flight: Two to three broods throughout the year in south Florida and South Texas.
Caterpillar Hosts: Vine legumes including various beans (Phaseolus), hog peanuts (Amphicarpa bracteata), beggar's ticks (Desmodium), blue peas (Clitoria), and wisteria (Wisteria).
Adult Food: Flower nectar from a variety of plants including bougainvillea, lantana, and shepherd's needle.
Habitat: Brushy fields, edges of woods, gardens, and other disturbed open habitats.
Range: Argentina north through Central America, the West Indies, and Mexico to peninsular Florida and South Texas. Occasionally strays and colonizes north to Connecticut, southern Illinois, eastern Kansas, southern Arizona, and southern California.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: Urbanus proteus caterpillars are sometimes pests on snap beans.
Get your BAMONA Gear!
Please donate!
We depend on donations to keep Butterflies and Moths of North America freely available. We want to express our gratitude to all who showed their support by making a contribution this year. You can donate to support this project at any time.
Advertise with us!
Do you have a product or service that you think would interest BAMONA users? If you would like to advertise on this website, contact us by email, or use the contact form and select the "Advertising" category.
Verified Sightings
Displaying 49 - 72 of 2000 verified sightings
Observation date: Sep 01, 2023
Submitted by: jfkoza
Region: Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 02, 2023
Observation date: Sep 01, 2023
Submitted by: itakepicturesof...
Region: Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Sep 01, 2023
Observation date: Aug 31, 2023
Submitted by: kye
Region: Greenville County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 01, 2023
Observation date: Aug 31, 2023
Submitted by: fcpd0016
Region: Marion County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 31, 2023
Observation date: Aug 26, 2023
Submitted by: Colleen K
Region: Robertson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 27, 2023
Observation date: Aug 20, 2023
Submitted by: bjones7777
Region: Hempstead County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 24, 2023
Observation date: Aug 21, 2023
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Lexington County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 22, 2023
Observation date: Jul 18, 2023
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Cayman Islands
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Aug 18, 2023
Observation date: Jul 21, 2023
Submitted by: Tdloyd
Region: Sumner County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jul 21, 2023
Observation date: Jul 08, 2023
Submitted by: D Grimes
Region: Brooks County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jul 21, 2023
Observation date: May 25, 2020
Submitted by: hsmarshall
Region: Orleans Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jun 26, 2023
Observation date: Mar 05, 2023
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Santa Ana, El Salvador
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: May 11, 2023
Observation date: Apr 05, 2023
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Imperial County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 09, 2023
Observation date: Apr 02, 2023
Submitted by: Rob Williams
Region: Leon County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 03, 2023
Observation date: Dec 18, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Mar 03, 2023
Observation date: Dec 16, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 26, 2023
Observation date: Nov 19, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 26, 2023
Observation date: Dec 01, 2022
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Jalisco, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 25, 2023
Observation date: Oct 24, 2019
Submitted by: Markus M
Region: Jalisco, Mexico
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 25, 2023
Observation date: Feb 23, 2023
Submitted by: John Gibbons
Region: Pinellas County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 23, 2023
Observation date: Feb 10, 2023
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Sarasota County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 16, 2023
Observation date: Feb 09, 2023
Submitted by: Debo Boddiford
Region: Chatham County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Feb 12, 2023
Observation date: Jan 24, 2023
Submitted by: WYbutterflyer1
Region: Polk County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 01, 2023
Observation date: Oct 25, 2022
Submitted by: tonzetich
Region: St. Lucia
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 28, 2023
- ‹ previous
- 3 of 84
- next ›