Palmetto Skipper
Euphyes arpa (Boisduval & Leconte, [1837])
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Head and front of thorax are bright orange. Male Upperside of forewing is reddish-yellow with black borders and a 2-part black stigma; hindwing is black. Female: Upperside is mostly black with a few reddish-yellow patches. Both sexes: Underside of hindwing is bright yellow-orange with no markings.
Wing Span: 1 5/8 - 1 15/16 inches (4.1 - 4.9 cm).
Life History: To await females, males perch all day in sedge marshes. Caterpillars eat palmetto fronds and live in silken tubes at the frond base. Partially-grown caterpillars hibernate.
Flight: Probably three broods from March-November.
Caterpillar Hosts: Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens).
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers including pickerelweed.
Habitat: Lowland palmetto scrub.
Range: Peninsular Florida, southeastern Georgia, coasts of southern Alabama and southern Mississippi.
Conservation: Populations should be conserved wherever found.
NCGR: 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.
Comments: NULL
Thank you!
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.
Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 82 verified sightings
Observation date: Apr 29, 2022
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: McIntosh County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: May 07, 2022
Observation date: Sep 17, 2016
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Osceola County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 10, 2021
Observation date: May 05, 2018
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Osceola County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 10, 2021
Observation date: Apr 07, 2018
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Osceola County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 10, 2021
Observation date: Aug 31, 2011
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe (Irvin Pitts)
Region: Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 19, 2021
Observation date: Sep 22, 2018
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Clay County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 29, 2021
Observation date: Sep 25, 2021
Submitted by: Tommie Rogers
Region: Clay County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 07, 2021
Observation date: Sep 27, 2019
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Osceola County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 29, 2021
Observation date: Oct 24, 2020
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Osceola County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 26, 2021
Observation date: May 01, 2021
Submitted by: robert.emond
Region: Wakulla County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 03, 2021
Observation date: Mar 02, 2021
Submitted by: TomObrock
Region: Charlotte County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 06, 2021
Observation date: Oct 17, 2020
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Charlotte County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 18, 2020
Observation date: Sep 12, 2020
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: McIntosh County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Sep 17, 2020
Observation date: Sep 14, 2020
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: McIntosh County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Sep 17, 2020
Observation date: May 26, 2020
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Sarasota County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 27, 2020
Observation date: Feb 25, 2020
Submitted by: TomObrock
Region: Charlotte County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 27, 2020
Observation date: Oct 04, 2019
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 09, 2019
Observation date: May 11, 2019
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 13, 2019
Observation date: May 11, 2019
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 13, 2019
Observation date: Mar 25, 2019
Submitted by: McDarrin
Region: Orange County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 26, 2019
Observation date: Sep 18, 2018
Submitted by: Jeff Trahan
Region: Wakulla County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 13, 2018
Observation date: Jul 27, 2018
Submitted by: kellydfl
Region: Osceola County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 01, 2018
Observation date: Aug 23, 2009
Submitted by: redfishin
Region: Nassau County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jan 11, 2017
Observation date: Oct 02, 2016
Submitted by: rob77897@gmail.com
Region: Osceola County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 11, 2016
- 1 of 4
- next ›