Butterflies of
Mexico, USA & Canada
Sachem
Skipper
Atalopedes
campestris
BOISDUVAL, 1852
Family - HESPERIIDAE
subfamily -
HESPERIINAE
Tribe
-
Atalopedes campestris, male, Tennessee, USA ©
Ken Childs
Introduction
The genus
Atalopedes comprises of 5 described
species - bahiensis from south-east
Brazil, flaveola from Venezuela and
Colombia, carteri from the Bahamas,
mesogramma from Cuba, and the most
widely distributed species - campestris,
which is found from the southern USA to Amazonia.
The male of
campestris is easily recognised by
virtue of the large black patch of androconia on the forewings.
The female can be confused with Hesperia
and other skippers, having dark earthy brown uppersides marked
with a series of pale yellowish blotches. The underside is
completely different to that of the male, with a pale olive-buff
ground colour, marked with a series of whitish spots that unite to
form a large chevron across the outer half of the hindwings.
Atalopedes campestris, male, Tennessee, USA ©
Ken Childs
Habitats
This species is
found in open grassy areas including meadows, pastures, roadside
verges, parks and gardens, at altitudes between sea level and
about 800m in subtropical regions. In recent years the species
has expanded it's range northwards, apparently in response to
climate warming.
Lifecycle
The eggs, which
are smooth, globular and greenish-white in colour, are laid
singly on or near the larval foodplants, which include
Cynodon,
Festuca, Stenotaphrum,
Digitaria,
Eleusine, Poa and probably several other genera of
grasses.
The
caterpillars when tiny are yellowish green, with a black collar
and a large shiny black head. When older they become pale brown
with a thin dark dorsal line, and a black head. They hide by day
at the base of grass tussocks, emerging at dusk to feed at the
top of the grass blades.
Adult behaviour
Males spend
long periods perching on grass blades, dead flowerheads or low
herbage, where they await passing females. Both sexes nectar at
a wide variety of flowering plants including
Verbena,
Eupatorium and thistles.
|
