Mimosa Skipper (Cogia calchas [Herrich-Schäffer])
Wing span: 1 3/16 - 1 3/4 inches (3 - 4.5 cm).
Identification: Forewings are elongated. Upperside is dark brown; forewing with 3-4 very small white dots near the apex, and sometimes an indistinct white spot at the center of the leading edge. Underside is dark brown; hindwing has a gray anal fold and pale wavy lines.
Life history: To seek females males perch in grassy open areas. Females deposit eggs singly on the host plant. Caterpillars feed on leaves and live in shelters of rolled or tied leaves.
Flight: Three broods from March-November in South Texas; throughout the year in Mexico and Central America.
Caterpillar hosts: Mimosa pigra, Indigofera, Malicia, and Schrankia; all in the pea family (Fabaceae).
Adult food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Creeks, canals, oxbow lakes, fields, city flower gardens.
Range: Argentina north through Central America and Mexico to South Texas.
