Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Dorantes Longtail
Urbanus dorantes (Stoll, 1790)


Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Pyrginae
Identification: Tails are long; fringes checkered. Body and wings are brown with no green iridescence. Forewing has prominent clear spots. Underside of hindwing has 2 bands of pale spots.
Wing Span: 1 7/16 - 2 inches (3.7 - 5.1 cm).
Life History: The Dorantes Longtail Skipper feeds at flowers in the winter, but spends most of the time perching upside down under leaves.
Flight: Three to four broods throughout the year in south Florida and South Texas.
Caterpillar Hosts: Various legumes including wild and cultivated beans (Phaseolus), beggar's ticks (Desmodium), and blue peas (Clitoria).
Adult Food: Flower nectar from shepherd\'s needle, lantana, trilisa, ironweed, bougainvillea, and others.
Habitat: Roadsides, overgrown fields, edges of woods, clearings and along trails in hardwood hammocks.
Range: Argentina north through Central America, Mexico, and the West Indies to South Texas and peninsular Florida. Strays north to northern California, southern Arizona, southern Missouri, and southern Georgia.
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.
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