Strecker's Giant-Skipper
Megathymus streckeri (Skinner, 1895)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Tribe: Megathymini
Identification: Forewings are wide. Upperside is black; forewing has white spots near the tip and a yellow band; hindwing has a white to yellow marginal band and long hairlike scales. Underside of hindwing is gray or mottled gray and black, and has few to several white spots.
Wing Span: 2 1/4 - 3 1/16 inches (5.7 - 7.8 cm).
Life History: Females make clicking noises during flight. Adults bask on old yucca stalks with their hindwings spread; the uppersides resemble old seedpods. To await receptive females, males perch and sometimes patrol all day around the host plants. Females glue eggs singly on leaves of the host plant. A young caterpillar burrows into the stem to the root without making a tent. After hibernating in the burrow, the caterpillar surfaces through the stem or soil and constructs a tent of silk, soil, and plant debris in which to pupate. Chrysalids can move about in their tent.
Flight: One brood from May-July.
Caterpillar Hosts: Small soapweed (Yucca glauca), Buckley yucca (Y. constricta), fineleaf yucca (Y. angustissima), and Bailey's yucca (Y. baileyi).
Adult Food: Adults do not feed, but males sip moisture from mud.
Habitat: Sand hills, rocky bluffs, short-grass prairie, shrubland, open woodland.
Range: Southeastern Montana and southwestern North Dakota south to South Texas, west to northwestern Arizona and southwestern Utah.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G4 - Apparently secure globally, though it might be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs:
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 164 verified sightings
Observation date: Mar 27, 2023
Submitted by: pattypasztor
Region: Texas, Kendall County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Mar 29, 2023
Observation date: Jun 17, 2022
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Union County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Dec 30, 2022
Observation date: Jun 08, 2021
Submitted by: g l warrick
Region: Cherry County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jun 09, 2021
Observation date: Apr 21, 2015
Submitted by: Martin Reid
Region: Blanco County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 16, 2019
Observation date: Jun 08, 2019
Submitted by: Christian.Nunes
Region: Las Animas County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Sep 21, 2019
Observation date: Jun 06, 2019
Submitted by: Christian.Nunes
Region: Las Animas County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Sep 21, 2019
Observation date: Jun 14, 2019
Submitted by: joeschelling
Region: Harding County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 21, 2019
Observation date: May 29, 2017
Submitted by: bernardrfoy
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 09, 2017
Observation date: Jun 05, 2016
Submitted by: joeschelling
Region: Union County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 01, 2016
Observation date: May 14, 2016
Submitted by: Amy Helen Chu
Region: Las Animas County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: May 22, 2016
Observation date: May 10, 2014
Submitted by: joeschelling
Region: Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 26, 2014
Observation date: Apr 30, 2013
Submitted by: Jeff Trahan
Region: Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Apr 30, 2013
Observation date: Jun 04, 2005
Submitted by: stevecary (Mike Stake)
Region: Taos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jan 14, 2011
Observation date: Jun 25, 1967
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Kilian Roever)
Region: Coconino County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2011
Observation date: May 29, 1966
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Kilian Roever)
Region: Navajo County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2011
Observation date: May 26, 1967
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Kilian Roever)
Region: Navajo County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2011
Observation date: May 25, 1949
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Stallings & Turner)
Region: Navajo County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2011
Observation date: May 30, 1966
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Kilian Roever)
Region: Navajo County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2011
Observation date: May 26, 1967
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Kilian Roever)
Region: Navajo County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2011
Observation date: Jun 04, 1969
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Richard Funk)
Region: Navajo County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2011
Observation date: Jun 15, 1966
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Kilian Roever)
Region: Coconino County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2011
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Region: United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Sep 06, 2010
Observation date: Jun 28, 2008
Submitted by: stevekohler (Steve Kohler)
Region: Treasure County, Montana, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Steve Kohler')
Verified date: Mar 13, 2009
Observation date: Jun 27, 2008
Submitted by: stevekohler (Steve Kohler)
Region: Richland County, Montana, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Steve Kohler')
Verified date: Mar 13, 2009
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