American snout | skymeadows

American snout (Libytheana carinenta)

CONFIRMATION STATUS: Confirmed.

FAMILY: Brush-footed Butterflies (Nymphalidae)
SUBFAMILY: Snouts (Libytheinae)

IDENTIFICATION: Labial palps long and extended forward. Tip of
forewing squared off. Upperside brown, forewing with orange at base
and inner margin, and white spots on outer half. Underside of hindwing
mottled or smooth violet-gray.

LIFE HISTORY: Adults perch on branches and imitate dead leaves by
holding palps and antennae downward to look like petioles. Males patrol
near host plants to seek females. Eggs are laid in small groups on leaves
of the host tree; caterpillars eat young leaves. Adults overwinter in the
southern part of their range.

FLIGHT: Two broods; May-June, and August. These butterflies
sometimes undertake huge migrations.

WING SPAN: 1 3/8 - 2 inches (3.5 - 5 cm).

CATERPILLAR HOSTS: Several species of hackberry (Celtis).

ADULT FOOD: Nectar from flowers of aster, dogbane, dogwood, goldenrod,
sweet pepperbush, and others.

HABITAT: Forest clearings and edges, thorn scrub, brushy fields,
roadsides.

RANGE: Argentina north through Mexico and the West Indies to
southern United States. Migrates to central California, southern
Nevada, Colorado, and most of the eastern United States.

CONSERVATION: Not usually of concern.

NATURESERVE GLOBAL STATUS: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally,
though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the
periphery.

MANAGEMENT NEEDS: None reported.

SKY MEADOWS OCCURRENCE:

Note: Due to seasonal conditions in this region, occurrence may vary from

year to year. The designation of occurrence may range over two or more

categories and may vary even during a single season.

Key to Checklist

A   Abundant: Easy to see very large numbers of individuals in appropriate habitat
      at proper time of year.
C   Common: Usually each to see good numbers of individuals in appropriate habitat
      at proper time of year.
U   Uncommon: Sometimes found in appropriate habitat and proper time of year,
      usually in low numbers.
O   Occasional: Found in appropriate habitat perhaps only a few times a year, usually
      in low numbers.
R   Rare: Small chance of being found, even in appropriate habitat at proper time of
      year. There are few individuals and may not be present every year.
X   Extirpated: Formerly present, no longer occurs in Sky Meadows Park.