Erichson's White-Skipper (Heliopetes domicella [Erichson])
Wing span: 1 1/8 - 1 3/8 inches (2.9 - 3.5 cm).
Identification: Fringes are checkered. Upperside is slate gray with a wide white band on each wing; many small white spots on outer third of wings. Underside is dull yellowish brown with whitish spots.
Life history: Not reported, but almost certainly plants in the mallow family (Malvaceae) such as malva loca (Malvastrum).
Flight: April-December in South Texas, all year in the tropics.
Caterpillar hosts: Not reported.
Adult food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Scrub, thorn-scrub, weedy areas, and desert, usually near water.
Range: Northern Mexico south through Central America to Argentina. A regular stray north to southeastern California, southern Nevada, central Arizona, and central Texas.
