Salenus Skipper (Synapte salenus [Mabille])
Wing span: 1 - 1 1/4 inches (2.5 - 3.2 cm).
Identification: Upperside is dark brown with faint or absent pale bands. Underside is brown; hindwing has dark costal and central patches and fine dark lines.
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 and fully-grown caterpillars overwinter in their shelters.
Flight: August in South Texas, several broods from June-October in Mexico.
Caterpillar hosts: Not reported; probably grasses, sedges, or rushes.
Adult food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Subtropics.
Range: Bolivia north through Central America to northern Mexico. A rare stray into South Texas.
