Brown-banded Skipper (Timochares ruptifasciatus [Plötz])
Wing span: 1 1/2 - 1 11/16 inches (3.8 - 4.3 cm).
Identification: Upperside of forewing is dark brown with irregular bands of darker spots; does not have transparent spots. Hindwing is orange-brown; upperside with 3 dark bands, underside with muted mottling.
Life history: Caterpillars feed on leaves and rest in shelters of rolled leaves.
Flight: Many broods from March-November in South Texas and Mexico.
Caterpillar hosts: Barbados cherry (Malpighia glabra).
Adult food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Openings and edges in tropical forests; city flower gardens.
Range: South Texas, southern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, Mexico, and Jamaica.
