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.
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