Page 78 - The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World

BUTTERFLY CATERPILLARS

FAMILY Hesperiidae
ough most of
d States
,
thr
r
Southe
Southern United States, through most of the Caribbean and
bbean and
n Unite
the Cari
DIS
TRIBUTION
DISTRIBUTION Southern United States, through most of the Caribbean and
DISTRIBUTION
Central America, south to Argentina
Centr al Ameri ca, sout h to Arg entin a
Central America, south to Argentina
spread, o
ide
tivated a
reas
d and cul
ften in disturbe
W
Widespread, often in disturbed and cultivated areas, in humid,
, in
humid,
HABITAT T Widespread, often in disturbed and cultivated areas, in humid,
HABIT
A
HABITAT
semi-humid, and strongly seasonal habitats
semi-humid, and strongly seasonal habitats
semi -humid, a nd str on gly seas on al habi tats
ostly or
taceae, m
Mar
Marantaceae, mostly ornamental
n
amental
an
HOS
HOST PLANTS
T PLANT
HOST PLANTS S Marantaceae, mostly ornamental Canna spp.; also Calathea spp.,
Maranta spp., and Thallia spp.
ar
a
nt
a

, and
.
spp
M
Maranta spp., and
Common caterpillar that in large numbers can severely
Common caterpillar that in large numbers can severely
NOTE
NOTE
NO TE Comm on cater pillar th at in l arg e number s can s ev erely
damage ornamentals
damag e or n ament als
damage ornamentals
ed
er
ely t
o become
endang
but not lik
valuated,
Not e
Not evaluated, but not likely to become endangered
CONSERVATION STATUS
CONSERVATION STATUS
CONSERV A TION S T A TUS Not evaluated, but not likely to become endangered
ADULT WINGSPAN
2–2⅛ in (50–55 mm)
CATERPILLAR LENGTH
1½–1¾ in (38–45 mm)
CALPODES ETHLIUS
BRAZILIAN SKIPPER
76
(STOLL, 1782)
Brazilian Skipper caterpillars hatch from eggs laid either singly
or in small rows of two to six eggs; they are, however, heavily
parasitized by tiny wasps. The young caterpillars make simple
shelters by rolling a small portion of the leaf margin, often with
a notch cut at each end of the roll to facilitate bending of the leaf.
Feeding from one end of the shelter usually results in a triangular
flap, folded either to the top or bottom of the leaf. Pupation

occurs in the final larval shelter.
Actual size
The eggs, larvae, and pupae are easy to find on ornamental
Canna species, and outbreaks can cause considerable damage
before they eventually collapse in a generation or two. The
Brazilian Skipper is probably more common than records

suggest, as it appears to be somewhat crepuscular, often flying
in the evening. It is apparently still expanding its range and was
recently found to have colonized the Galapagos Islands.
The Brazilian Skipper caterpillar has a light,
caramel-brown or orange-brown head, roughly
triangular in shape. Variably sized, oval, black
markings over the stemmata look like eyes. The
body is dull, translucent green with a transparent
cuticle that leaves the weblike network of trachea
clearly visible as they expand below the cuticle
from each spiracle.