Purple-washed Skipper Panoquina lucas (Fabricius, 1793)

Family: Hesperiidae

Subfamily: Hesperiinae

Identification: Upperside is dark brown with some pale spots; male forewing has an elongated spot in the cell. Underside of hindwing is dull brown with a straight line of blue or white spots. Female has a blue or purple sheen.

Wing Span: 1 3/16 - 1 3/4 inches (3 - 4.5 cm).

Life History: Caterpillars feed on leaves.

Flight: Several broods; August-December in South Texas, throughout the year in Mexico.

Caterpillar Hosts: Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum), rice (Oryza sativa), Johnson grass (Sorghum halepense), and other grasses.

Adult Food: Flower nectar including that from Lantana.

Habitat: Openings in subtropical scrub, forest edges, and nearby fields.

Range: Argentina north through tropical America and the West Indies to northern Mexico. A regular stray north to the lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas; rarely to central Texas and southeast Arizona.

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: None reported.

Comments: NULL

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