Cofaqui Giant-Skipper
Megathymus cofaqui (Strecker, 1876)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Megathyminae
Identification: Forewing is relatively short and blunt. Upperside is black; forewing has a broad yellow band that arches inward to the middle of the costa; hindwing has long hairlike scales at the base. Underside of hindwing is gray with small white spots.
Wing Span: 1 15/16 - 2 7/16 inches (5 - 6.3 cm).
Life History: Adults have a swift and strong flight, and rest on the shady side of tree trunks about 3-6 feet above ground. Males probably perch in the morning to wait for receptive females. Females glue eggs singly on leaves of the host plant. The young caterpillar bores into the stem and root and spins a silken tunnel where it feeds and overwinters. A fully-grown caterpillar makes a silken tent which projects from the stalk of the host or from the ground near its base. The tent becomes camouflaged as bits of soil and leaves stick to it, and within, the caterpillar pupates. The chrysalid can move up and down in its burrow.
Flight: One brood in Georgia from July-September; two broods in Florida from March-November.
Caterpillar Hosts: Bear grass (Yucca filamentosa), Spanish bayonet (Y. aloifolia), and Small's yucca (Y. smalliana).
Adult Food: Adults do not feed, but males sip moisture from mud.
Habitat: Coastal dunes, pinewoods, shrubland.
Range: Two isolated populations panhandle, and peninsular Florida.
Conservation: Populations and their habitats 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
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 25 - 48 of 55 verified sightings
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Manatee County, Florida, United States
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Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Region: St. Lucie County, Florida, United States
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Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Region: Georgia, Screven County, United States
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Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Region: Sumter County, South Carolina, United States
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Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Region: Hernando County, Florida, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Orange County, Florida, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Sumter County, Florida, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Region: Alexander County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
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Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Region: Levy County, Florida, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Region: Putnam County, Florida, United States
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Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Region: Burke County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Region: Fulton County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Region: Lancaster County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Region: Marion County, Florida, United States
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Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Region: Sarasota County, Florida, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Georgia, Thomas County, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Region: Hillsborough County, Florida, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Region: Pasco County, Florida, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Region: Volusia County, Florida, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Region: Polk County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Citrus County, Florida, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Liberty County, Florida, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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