Brazilian Skipper
Calpodes ethlius (Stoll, 1782)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Robust. Forewing is long and pointed, hindwing is lobed. Upperside is brown-black with large translucent spots on both forewing and hindwing. Underside is red-brown; hindwing has 3 or 4 cream spots.
Wing Span: 1 3/4 - 2 3/8 inches (4.5 - 6.1 cm).
Life History: Adults have a very fast flight and are strong migrants. Females lay eggs on the upperside of leaves high up on the host plant. Caterpillars usually spend the day in shelters of rolled leaves and emerge after dark to eat leaves.
Flight: Late summer in the north; several broods from April-December in South Texas; two broods from July-November in Arizona; throughout the year in Florida and the tropics.
Caterpillar Hosts: Various cultivated plants in the canna family (Marantaceae).
Adult Food: Lantana in Arizona. In Costa Rica, nectar from large white or pale yellow flowers of woody lianas, trees, and shrubs.
Habitat: Gardens and residential areas.
Range: South Florida and South Texas south through the West Indies, Mexico, and Central America to Argentina. Periodically strays and colonizes north to southern Nevada, north Texas, Illinois, and Massachusetts.
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: None reported.
Comments: NULL
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 429 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 28, 2020
Submitted by: Elizabeth Wolfe
Region: Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Mar 30, 2022
Observation date: Dec 21, 2011
Submitted by: Zully
Region: Panama Province, Panama
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Mar 04, 2022
Observation date: Jul 30, 2018
Submitted by: mellielong
Region: Wake County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 08, 2022
Observation date: Oct 09, 2016
Submitted by: tobnull
Region: Texas, United States, Williamson County
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 04, 2022
Observation date: Oct 22, 2016
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Palm Beach County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 10, 2021
Observation date: Sep 08, 2018
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Palm Beach County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 10, 2021
Observation date: Oct 09, 2018
Submitted by: jwilkinson
Region: Howard County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Dec 08, 2021
Observation date: Nov 09, 2021
Submitted by: bttfly9@yahoo.com
Region: Lake County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 19, 2021
Observation date: Aug 19, 2017
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 19, 2021
Observation date: Oct 27, 2021
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 29, 2021
Observation date: Sep 16, 2021
Submitted by: Cheri Pierce
Region: Lake County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 29, 2021
Observation date: Sep 18, 2021
Submitted by: Jeff Trahan
Region: Caddo Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Sep 24, 2021
Observation date: Sep 19, 2021
Submitted by: Jeff Trahan
Region: Caddo Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Sep 24, 2021
Observation date: Sep 05, 2021
Submitted by: sgensits
Region: Leon County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 07, 2021
Observation date: Aug 29, 2020
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Orange County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 07, 2021
Observation date: Aug 15, 2021
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Orange County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 19, 2021
Observation date: Jul 05, 2021
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe (Donna W Forsythe)
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jul 06, 2021
Observation date: Jul 22, 2017
Submitted by: SBurton
Region: Norfolk, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 09, 2021
Observation date: Oct 15, 2020
Submitted by: KenL
Region: Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Dec 31, 2020
Observation date: Nov 15, 2020
Submitted by: Jeff Trahan
Region: Caddo Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Dec 07, 2020
Observation date: Jun 14, 2018
Submitted by: schaarschmidt
Region: Dare County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Dec 04, 2020
Observation date: Oct 21, 2020
Submitted by: Promando
Region: Galveston County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Dec 03, 2020
Observation date: Sep 26, 2020
Submitted by: pauhana
Region: Davidson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: Nov 28, 2020
Observation date: Oct 29, 2020
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe (Terrie Johnson)
Region: Orangeburg County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Nov 20, 2020
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