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 145 - 168 of 2030 verified sightings
Observation date: Nov 07, 2019
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 02, 2022
Observation date: Sep 27, 2021
Submitted by: hfna16
Region: Galveston County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 01, 2022
Observation date: Aug 24, 2022
Submitted by: David Lee
Region: Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 25, 2022
Observation date: Aug 24, 2022
Submitted by: Meowkiss
Region: Chatham County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Aug 25, 2022
Observation date: Aug 19, 2022
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 23, 2022
Observation date: Aug 19, 2017
Submitted by: dbryant562
Region: Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 23, 2022
Observation date: Aug 19, 2016
Submitted by: Debo Boddiford
Region: Burke County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Aug 13, 2022
Observation date: Aug 09, 2022
Submitted by: JimBarnhart
Region: Citrus County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 10, 2022
Observation date: Aug 08, 2022
Submitted by: Olive C
Region: Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Aug 10, 2022
Observation date: Apr 16, 2010
Submitted by: mrcnaturally
Region: Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Aug 04, 2022
Observation date: Oct 08, 2019
Submitted by: Debo Boddiford
Region: Georgia, Treutlen County, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Aug 04, 2022
Observation date: Aug 01, 2022
Submitted by: yardbird
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 03, 2022
Observation date: Jul 20, 2017
Submitted by: thedrw
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Jul 26, 2022
Observation date: Feb 04, 2022
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: Collier County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 17, 2022
Observation date: Jul 09, 2022
Submitted by: Icakalic
Region: Ascension Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jul 10, 2022
Observation date: Jun 06, 2022
Submitted by: Brian Ahern
Region: Pasco County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 07, 2022
Observation date: Sep 14, 2020
Submitted by: Traveling_gopher
Region: Loudon County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Mar 29, 2022
Observation date: Mar 14, 2022
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Mar 15, 2022
Observation date: Aug 13, 2019
Submitted by: RobW
Region: Rockland County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Feb 28, 2022
Observation date: Feb 19, 2022
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 19, 2022
Observation date: Feb 03, 2022
Submitted by: Cosmosjon
Region: Manatee County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 06, 2022
Observation date: Feb 06, 2022
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 06, 2022
Observation date: Dec 31, 2021
Submitted by: Debo Boddiford
Region: Georgia, Screven County, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Feb 05, 2022
Observation date: Mar 18, 2008
Submitted by: Allen B
Region: Dominican Republic
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Jan 25, 2022
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