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.
Get your BAMONA Gear!
Please donate!
We depend on donations to keep Butterflies and Moths of North America freely available. We want to express our gratitude to all who showed their support by making a contribution this year. You can donate to support this project at any time.
Advertise with us!
Do you have a product or service that you think would interest BAMONA users? If you would like to advertise on this website, contact us by email, or use the contact form and select the "Advertising" category.
Verified Sightings
Displaying 121 - 144 of 1997 verified sightings
Observation date: Apr 16, 2010
Submitted by: mrcnaturally
Region: Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Aug 04, 2022
Observation date: Oct 08, 2019
Submitted by: Debo Boddiford
Region: Georgia, Treutlen County, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Aug 04, 2022
Observation date: Aug 01, 2022
Submitted by: yardbird
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 03, 2022
Observation date: Jul 20, 2017
Submitted by: thedrw
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Jul 26, 2022
Observation date: Feb 04, 2022
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: Collier County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 17, 2022
Observation date: Jul 09, 2022
Submitted by: Icakalic
Region: Ascension Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jul 10, 2022
Observation date: Jun 06, 2022
Submitted by: Brian Ahern
Region: Pasco County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 07, 2022
Observation date: Sep 14, 2020
Submitted by: Traveling_gopher
Region: Loudon County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Mar 29, 2022
Observation date: Mar 14, 2022
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Mar 15, 2022
Observation date: Aug 13, 2019
Submitted by: RobW
Region: Rockland County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Feb 28, 2022
Observation date: Feb 19, 2022
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 19, 2022
Observation date: Feb 03, 2022
Submitted by: Cosmosjon
Region: Manatee County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 06, 2022
Observation date: Feb 06, 2022
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 06, 2022
Observation date: Dec 31, 2021
Submitted by: Debo Boddiford
Region: Georgia, Screven County, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Feb 05, 2022
Observation date: Mar 18, 2008
Submitted by: Allen B
Region: Dominican Republic
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Jan 25, 2022
Observation date: Sep 22, 2014
Submitted by: KaseyC
Region: Clarke County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 20, 2022
Observation date: Aug 27, 2020
Submitted by: K. S. Veitch
Region: Laurel County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jan 01, 2022
Observation date: Dec 15, 2021
Submitted by: paige_b
Region: Texas, Orange County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Dec 30, 2021
Observation date: Sep 19, 2019
Submitted by: woodfox89
Region: Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Dec 24, 2021
Observation date: Oct 17, 2021
Submitted by: larryheine@gmail.com
Region: New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Dec 16, 2021
Observation date: Sep 25, 2021
Submitted by: digginflowers
Region: Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Nov 26, 2021
Observation date: Nov 14, 2021
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 19, 2021
Observation date: Sep 08, 2013
Submitted by: dlb1117
Region: Forrest County, Mississippi, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 11, 2021
Observation date: Nov 09, 2021
Submitted by: dlb1117
Region: Forrest County, Mississippi, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 11, 2021
- ‹ previous
- 6 of 84
- next ›