cloudy skipper | skymeadows

clouded skipper (Lerema accius)

CONFIRMATION STATUS: Confirmed.

FAMILY: Skippers (Hesperiidae)
SUBFAMILY: Grass Skippers (Hesperiinae)

IDENTIFICATION: Wings are dark brown. Upperside of male forewing
has a dark black stigma; female forewing has transparent white spots.
Underside of hindwing has dark and light patches and a violet-blue sheen.

LIFE HISTORY: To seek females, males perch on vegetation a few inches
from the ground in the partial shade of forest edges or clearings.

FLIGHT: Throughout the year in Florida and South Texas.

WING SPAN: 1 1/4 - 1 3/4 inches (3.2 - 4.5 cm).

CATERPILLAR HOSTS: Various grasses including St. Augustine grass
(Stenotaphrum secundatum), wooly beard grass (Erianthus alopecturoides),

and Echinochloa povietianum.

ADULT FOOD: Various pink, purple, or white flowers including shepherd's
needle, selfheal, vervain, buttonbush, and lantana.

HABITAT: Forest edges and clearings near rivers and swamps.

RANGE: Georgia east to Texas; south to Florida; south through Mexico
and Central America to Venezuela and Colombia.

CONSERVATION: Not required.

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.