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 461 verified sightings
Observation date: Oct 03, 1996
Submitted by: papilio1
Region: Collin County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Apr 27, 2025
Observation date: Nov 23, 2024
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Dec 03, 2024
Observation date: Nov 26, 2024
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Dec 03, 2024
Observation date: Nov 01, 2024
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Nov 13, 2024
Observation date: Oct 30, 2024
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Nov 03, 2024
Observation date: Oct 20, 2024
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Nov 03, 2024
Observation date: Oct 29, 2024
Submitted by: Craig M Lipski
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 29, 2024
Observation date: Oct 09, 2024
Submitted by: C²²H²⁸N²O
Region: Cameron County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 11, 2024
Observation date: Jul 15, 2021
Submitted by: dvollmar
Region: Broward County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 17, 2024
Observation date: May 21, 2024
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Texas, Nueces County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 21, 2024
Observation date: Apr 29, 2024
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Texas, Nueces County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 01, 2024
Observation date: Apr 29, 2024
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Texas, Nueces County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 01, 2024
Observation date: Apr 29, 2024
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Texas, Nueces County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 01, 2024
Observation date: Mar 11, 2024
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Mar 19, 2024
Observation date: Oct 27, 2023
Submitted by: Joceb2005
Region: Collier County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 03, 2024
Observation date: Nov 27, 2023
Submitted by: 4wildlife
Region: Palm Beach County, Florida, United States
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Dec 21, 2023
Observation date: Sep 05, 2023
Submitted by: TomObrock
Region: Collier County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 06, 2023
Observation date: Aug 22, 2023
Submitted by: Pkleinsasser
Region: St. Johns County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 23, 2023
Observation date: Jul 06, 2020
Submitted by: Tdloyd
Region: Sumner County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 10, 2023
Observation date: Apr 02, 2023
Submitted by: John Gibbons
Region: Levy County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 07, 2023
Observation date: Jan 18, 2023
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Jalisco, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 26, 2023
Observation date: Jul 11, 2019
Submitted by: Markus M
Region: Jalisco, Mexico
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 25, 2023
Observation date: Sep 01, 2021
Submitted by: Brynne Bryan
Region: Denton County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 18, 2023
Observation date: Aug 12, 2022
Submitted by: Rosa Ruperto
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Nov 27, 2022
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