Page 110 - The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World

BUTTERFLY CATERPILLARS

FAMILY Hesperiidae
DISTRIBUTION Southwestern United States, south to northern Mexico
HABITAT Open pinewoods in lower mountains
HOST PLANTS Grasses growing in large clumps, such as needlegrass (Stipa spp.)
and Side Oats Grama (Bouteloua curtipendula)
NOTE Caterpillar that is semitranslucent
CONSERVATION STATUS Not evaluated, but apparently secure within its range

ADULT WINGSPAN
1–1³∕₁₆ in (25–30 mm)
CATERPILLAR LENGTH
1³∕₁₆ in (30 mm)
STINGA MORRISONI
MORRISON’S SKIPPER
108
(W. H. EDWARDS, 1878)

Morrison’s Skipper caterpillars live in large clumps of many

kinds of grass, which afford them protection from predators.
Each caterpillar silks several grass leaves together and remains
inside that nest, where its strange, semitranslucent body
attracts no attention. The caterpillar makes larger and larger
vertical nests as it becomes full grown, and then hibernates in a
leaf nest over the winter, pupating in the spring. There is
a single annual generation, except in west Texas, where there
are two generations.
Actual size

Adults emerge in May, and males fly to nearby hilltops waiting

for females and the opportunity to mate. Both sexes visit a
variety of flowers for nectar. The butterflies have a silver
The Morrison’s Skipper caterpillar is dull arrowhead mark on the underside of each hindwing, giving rise
greenish tan with a very narrow, black collar, to the alternative common name of Arrowhead Skipper. There
and the body is semitranslucent, revealing
some internal organs. Some Stinga morrisoni is only one species of Stinga, but hundreds of other species of
caterpillars also have a vague, dark dorsal stripe
on the body. The bifurcated head is solid black skipper caterpillars also eat grasses or sedges.
in some individuals, varying to orange brown
with several paler, vertical stripes.