Violet-banded Skipper (Nyctelius nyctelius [Latreille])
Wing span: 1 1/16 - 1 1/2 inches (2.7 - 3.9 cm).
Identification: Upperside is black-brown with transparent white spots and a pair of spots in the forewing cell. Underside of hindwing is pale brown with a violet overlay and 2 dark bands; leading edge has a small dark spot.
Life history: Females lay eggs singly on leaves of the host plant. Caterpillars eat leaves and make leaf nests for shelter.
Flight: Several broods; from May-December in South Texas, throughout the year in the tropics.
Caterpillar hosts: Grasses including sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum), corn (Zea mays), and rice (Oryza sativa).
Adult food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Subtropical thorn forest.
Range: Argentina north through Central America to Mexico and the West Indies. A periodic stray to the lower Rio Grande Valley, central Texas, southeastern Arizona, and southern California.
