Strecker's Giant-Skipper
Megathymus streckeri (Skinner, 1895)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Megathyminae
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: None reported.
Comments: NULL
Verified Sightings
Displaying 25 - 48 of 164 verified sightings
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
Observation date: Jun 24, 2004
Submitted by: stevekohler (Steve Kohler)
Region: McCone County, Montana, United States
Verified by: stevekohler (Steve Kohler)
Verified date: Jan 23, 2008
Observation date: Jun 21, 2007
Submitted by: stevekohler (Steve Kohler)
Region: Lewis And Clark County, Montana, United States
Verified by: stevekohler (Steve Kohler)
Verified date: Jan 23, 2008
Observation date: Jun 14, 2007
Submitted by: stevekohler (Steve Kohler)
Region: Wibaux County, Montana, United States
Verified by: stevekohler (Steve Kohler)
Verified date: Jan 23, 2008
Observation date: Jun 22, 2007
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Gary Lawson)
Region: Fergus County, Montana, United States
Verified by: stevekohler (Steve Kohler)
Verified date: Jan 23, 2008
Observation date: Jun 15, 2007
Submitted by: stevekohler (Steve Kohler)
Region: Big Horn County, Montana, United States
Verified by: stevekohler (Steve Kohler)
Verified date: Jan 23, 2008
Observation date: Jun 12, 2004
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Bryan Reynolds)
Region: Golden Valley County, North Dakota, United States
Verified by: nick.grishin (Nick Grishin)
Verified date: May 07, 2007
Observation date: Jun 14, 2004
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Kilian Roever)
Region: Natrona County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Kilian Roever)
Verified date: May 07, 2007
Observation date: Jun 01, 2000
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Ray E. Stanford)
Region: Morrill County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Ray Stanford)
Verified date: May 07, 2007
Observation date: Jun 04, 2000
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Ray E. Stanford)
Region: Logan County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Ray Stanford)
Verified date: May 07, 2007
Observation date: Jul 24, 2005
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Bryan Reynolds)
Region: McKenzie County, North Dakota, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Season Summary Report)
Verified date: May 07, 2007
Observation date: May 28, 2000
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Ray E. Stanford)
Region: Logan County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Ray Stanford)
Verified date: May 07, 2007
Observation date: Jun 01, 2000
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Ray E. Stanford)
Region: Box Butte County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Ray Stanford)
Verified date: May 07, 2007
Observation date: Jun 21, 2003
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Gary M. Marrone)
Region: Perkins County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Ray Stanford)
Verified date: May 07, 2007
Observation date: Jul 11, 2006
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Steven J. Kohler)
Region: Powder River County, Montana, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Season Summary Report)
Verified date: May 07, 2007
Observation date: Jun 09, 2006
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Andy Warren)
Region: Douglas County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Andy Warren)
Verified date: May 07, 2007
Observation date: Jun 03, 2000
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Ray E. Stanford)
Region: Brown County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Ray Stanford)
Verified date: May 07, 2007
Observation date: Jun 14, 2006
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Bordelon/Knudson)
Region: Eastland County, Texas, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Bordelon/Knudson)
Verified date: Nov 14, 2006
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Rosebud County, Montana, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Meade County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Morton County, North Dakota, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Blanco County, Texas, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Apache County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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