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 49 - 72 of 1981 verified sightings
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_8034_1_1_1.jpg?itok=eci1rT4k)
Observation date: Feb 23, 2023
Submitted by: John Gibbons
Region: Pinellas County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 23, 2023
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Observation date: Feb 10, 2023
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Sarasota County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 16, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/long-tailed_skipper_9.0_-_chatham_co_ga_-_savannah_botanical_garden_-_2-9-2023.jpg?itok=d7lCGwGc)
Observation date: Feb 09, 2023
Submitted by: Debo Boddiford
Region: Chatham County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Feb 12, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_0552long-tailed_skipper.jpg?itok=IPnYOT4y)
Observation date: Jan 24, 2023
Submitted by: WYbutterflyer1
Region: Polk County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 01, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/longtailedskipper.jpeg?itok=-a5QbeQT)
Observation date: Oct 25, 2022
Submitted by: tonzetich
Region: St. Lucia
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 28, 2023
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Observation date: Oct 09, 2018
Submitted by: Iván Guerrero C...
Region: Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Jan 26, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/borboleta6.jpg?itok=2Z_92oWB)
Observation date: Nov 05, 2017
Submitted by: pasicam
Region: Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Jan 24, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/longtail-skipper_mg_9740_copy.jpg?itok=gKq2x60P)
Observation date: Feb 12, 2016
Submitted by: Arabella S Dane
Region: Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Jan 24, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/cuchujaqui_bridge_urbanus_proteus_2021oct20.jpg?itok=RcnImOVZ)
Observation date: Oct 20, 2021
Submitted by: David F Smith
Region: Sonora, Mexico
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jan 24, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/butterfly_skipper_long_tailed-12.22-1.jpg?itok=ABqdJltI)
Observation date: Dec 17, 2022
Submitted by: Ron Klowden
Region: St. Lucie County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jan 02, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_8979_3.jpg?itok=BByh0vE-)
Observation date: Oct 01, 2022
Submitted by: hsmarshall
Region: Orleans Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Dec 14, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/p1300459.jpg?itok=jPx1Sy7E)
Observation date: Nov 07, 2022
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Cameron County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Dec 08, 2022
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Observation date: Nov 15, 2022
Submitted by: John Gibbons
Region: Pinellas County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 18, 2022
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Observation date: Nov 08, 2022
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 09, 2022
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Observation date: Nov 09, 2022
Submitted by: KShell
Region: Dixie County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 09, 2022
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Observation date: Nov 08, 2022
Submitted by: SM_TN
Region: Union County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Nov 08, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/pxl_20221104_170339285.jpg?itok=KfHr3nQQ)
Observation date: Nov 04, 2022
Submitted by: Steve Edwards
Region: Lancaster County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Nov 05, 2022
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Observation date: Nov 04, 2022
Submitted by: Hypersiug.
Region: Polk County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Nov 04, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/eb34c5a3-8109-4909-b2c2-0e00f1b7e817.jpeg?itok=ccssFXpt)
Observation date: Nov 04, 2022
Submitted by: Hypersiug.
Region: Polk County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Nov 04, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/skipper_long-tailed_urbanus_proteus._091222._wildlife_drive._merritt_island_nwr_fl-1.jpg?itok=Ykn5Ub1D)
Observation date: Sep 12, 2022
Submitted by: bchensel
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 01, 2022
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Observation date: Oct 24, 2022
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 01, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/20221029_1645112.jpg?itok=E5KG0b0k)
Observation date: Oct 29, 2022
Submitted by: philsfotos1
Region: Carteret County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Oct 30, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/_zix6038_long-tailed_skipper.jpg?itok=ZwWG6e5r)
Observation date: Oct 26, 2022
Submitted by: Charles_Mills
Region: Bowie County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 26, 2022
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_6566_8.jpg?itok=YvmzfPXx)
Observation date: Oct 24, 2022
Submitted by: JamieLynn
Region: Aiken County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Oct 26, 2022
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