Redundant Skipper (Corticea corticea [Plötz])
Wing span: 7/8 - 1 inch (2.2 - 2.5 cm).
Identification: Upperside is brown with a pale orangish band on the forewing. Underside of the hindwing is orange-brown with no dark striations. Fringes are yellow.
Life history: Adults fly swiftly, most often in the afternoon. Adults rest with their wings closed, but bask with hindwings open wide and forewings open to about 45 degrees. Males perch to find receptive females. Caterpillars live in shelters of silked leaves.
Flight: September-December in South Texas.
Caterpillar hosts: Not reported; probably grasses, rushes, or sedges.
Adult food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Subtropical.
Range: Southern Brazil north through Central America to Mexico. A rare stray north to South Texas.
