National Moth Week is July 18-26!
Moths are amazing creatures. Take photographs and share your moth sightings with us to document the moths where you live.
Long-tailed Skipper
Urbanus proteus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Pyrginae
Identification: Tails are long. Upperside is dark blackish brown; body and wing bases are iridescent blue-green. Males have a costal fold enclosing scent scales on the leading edge of the forewing. Dark row on underside of hindwing is a complete band.
Wing Span: 1 3/4 - 2 5/16 inches (4.5 - 6 cm).
Life History: Adults roost upside down under leaves and limbs. To seek females, males perch 3-6 feet above the ground in sunlit openings. Females lay eggs under leaves in clusters of up to 20. Caterpillars feed on leaves and live in shelters of rolled leaves.
Flight: Two to three broods throughout the year in south Florida and South Texas.
Caterpillar Hosts: Vine legumes including various beans (Phaseolus), hog peanuts (Amphicarpa bracteata), beggar's ticks (Desmodium), blue peas (Clitoria), and wisteria (Wisteria).
Adult Food: Flower nectar from a variety of plants including bougainvillea, lantana, and shepherd's needle.
Habitat: Brushy fields, edges of woods, gardens, and other disturbed open habitats.
Range: Argentina north through Central America, the West Indies, and Mexico to peninsular Florida and South Texas. Occasionally strays and colonizes north to Connecticut, southern Illinois, eastern Kansas, southern Arizona, and southern California.
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: Urbanus proteus caterpillars are sometimes pests on snap beans.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 433 - 456 of 2030 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 28, 2019
Submitted by: loyallonghorn
Region: Fort Bend County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 31, 2019
Observation date: Jul 30, 2019
Submitted by: GinaT
Region: Hillsborough County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 30, 2019
Observation date: Jul 28, 2019
Submitted by: GinaT
Region: Hillsborough County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 30, 2019
Observation date: Jul 26, 2019
Submitted by: ReggieGal
Region: DeSoto County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 28, 2019
Observation date: Jul 24, 2019
Submitted by: loyallonghorn
Region: Fort Bend County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 27, 2019
Observation date: Oct 20, 2012
Submitted by: HHowell
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 26, 2019
Observation date: Jul 20, 2019
Submitted by: Cardinal52
Region: Duval County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 23, 2019
Observation date: Jul 06, 2019
Submitted by: therapypetz
Region: Broward County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 06, 2019
Observation date: Jun 27, 2019
Submitted by: krysta890
Region: Pinellas County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 28, 2019
Observation date: Jun 23, 2019
Submitted by: LauraSea
Region: Nassau County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 23, 2019
Observation date: Aug 28, 2018
Submitted by: robert.emond
Region: Alachua County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 21, 2019
Observation date: Jun 10, 2019
Submitted by: Ohnan
Region: Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jun 12, 2019
Observation date: Oct 13, 2017
Submitted by: Ryan84
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Apr 14, 2019
Observation date: Sep 08, 2018
Submitted by: Ryan84
Region: Berkeley County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Apr 14, 2019
Observation date: Apr 06, 2019
Submitted by: therapypetz
Region: Broward County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 13, 2019
Observation date: Jul 29, 2018
Submitted by: stomlins701
Region: Elmore County, Alabama, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Mar 18, 2019
Observation date: Mar 09, 2019
Submitted by: Cardinal52
Region: St. Johns County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 09, 2019
Observation date: Feb 22, 2019
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 23, 2019
Observation date: Feb 08, 2019
Submitted by: mellielong
Region: Hillsborough County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 08, 2019
Observation date: Feb 05, 2019
Submitted by: docj77
Region: Indian River County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 06, 2019
Observation date: Oct 28, 2017
Submitted by: KateTweedy
Region: Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Feb 05, 2019
Observation date: Jan 29, 2019
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jan 31, 2019
Observation date: Sep 18, 2018
Submitted by: KateTweedy
Region: Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jan 28, 2019
Observation date: Aug 14, 2018
Submitted by: Ron Klowden
Region: St. Lucie County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jan 08, 2019
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