Home
Species Detail
Orange Giant-Skipper
Agathymus neumoegeni (W.H. Edwards, 1882)
Attributes of Agathymus neumoegeniFamily: Skippers (Hesperiidae) Subfamily: Giant-Skippers (Megathyminae) Identification: Upperside is orange to yellow-orange with black borders and black patches. Underside of hindwing is dark gray with a faint pale band. Life history: From early morning to noon males perch near host plants to wait for receptive females. Eggs are laid singly on the host and fall to the base of the plant. A young caterpillar crawls to a leaf tip and burrows inside where it eats pulp and then hibernates. In the spring the caterpillar makes a new burrow in a leaf base where it feeds on sap until becoming inactive for the summer. Before pupating, the caterpillar enlarges the opening of its burrow and makes a silk trap door from which the adult can emerge. Flight: One brood from September-October. Wing span: 1 3/4 - 2 3/8 inches (4.5 - 6.1 cm). Caterpillar hosts: Parry\'s agave (Agave parryi). Adult food: Females do not feed; males take moisture at mud or manure. Habitat: Shrub-grassland or open woodland. Range: Central Arizona to west-central New Mexico; southern New Mexico to west Texas. Conservation: Not usually required. NatureServe Global Status: G3 - Very rare or local throughout its range or found locally in a restricted range (21 to 100 occurrences). (Threatened throughout its range). Management needs: None reported. | Documented Records for Agathymus neumoegeni
|
