Violet-clouded Skipper (Lerodea arabus [W. H. Edwards])
Wing span: 1 - 1 1/4 inches (2.4 - 3.2 cm).
Identification: Male has no stigma. Upperside is brown-black; forewing has transparent spots which are larger than those of the Eufala Skipper; hindwing may have pale spots. Underside is light gray; hindwing has a dark brown patch in the center.
Life history: Males perch all day to wait for receptive females. Eggs are laid singly on the host plants.
Flight: Several flights in Arizona from February-December.
Caterpillar hosts: Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon) and green spangletop (Leptochloa dubia).
Adult food: Flower nectar including that from Bidens and Lantana.
Habitat: Subtropical thorn forest, grassy open woodland, towns and fields.
Range: Southern Arizona, southern Texas, and western Mexico.
