Brazilian Skipper - Hodges#4115
Calpodes ethlius
This record describes Calpodes ethlius (species). Recorded family: Hesperiidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
The larva wraps itself inside a leaf and eats the leaf. It expels feces forcefully a considerable distance which may be a protection against detection by predators.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Papilionoidea
- Family
- Hesperiidae (Skippers)
- Subfamily
- Hesperiinae
- Tribe
- Hesperiini
- Genus
- Calpodes
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Well established in Florida and Texas; there are records as far north as New York. It is found throughout Central and South America, all the way to Argentina. It is even found in the Galapagos.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Larvae feed on several species of Canna
Life History
see
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Calpodes ethlius. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Lepidoptera includes approximately 180,000 described species of butterflies and moths. Moths outnumber butterflies roughly 10:1. The monarch butterfly's eastern population has declined by more than 80% since the mid-1990s, and the western population by over 95% since the 1980s. The IUCN lists the migratory monarch as Vulnerable.
Ecological role of the group
Butterflies and moths are essential indicators of ecosystem health. As caterpillars, they are a primary food source for birds - a single nest of blue tit chicks requires ~10,000 caterpillars. Adult moths pollinate many night-blooming plants.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Lepidoptera are critical pollinators. In Europe, grassland butterfly species have declined by almost 50% since the early 1990s. In the UK, three-quarters of butterflies are in decline. In the U.S., five butterfly species have gone extinct since 1950, with 29 listed as endangered.
Recorded sources for this group: IUCN Red List, Xerces Society, USFWS, PNAS, WWF. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Brazilian Skipper - Hodges#4115 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Joel Kits; Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset , Bbarnd , v belov , Kyhl Austin
Frequently Asked Questions About Brazilian Skipper - Hodges#4115
What is Brazilian Skipper - Hodges#4115?
Brazilian Skipper - Hodges#4115 (Calpodes ethlius) is a species in the family Hesperiidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
Where is Brazilian Skipper - Hodges#4115 found?
Range: Well established in Florida and Texas; there are records as far north as New York. It is found throughout Central and South America, all the way to Argentina. It is even found in the Galapagos.
What does Brazilian Skipper - Hodges#4115 eat?
The diet of the Brazilian Skipper - Hodges#4115 includes Larvae feed on several species of Canna.
What is the life cycle of a Brazilian Skipper - Hodges#4115?
see