Bay Skipper - Hodges#4072.1
Euphyes bayensis
This record describes Euphyes bayensis (species). Recorded family: Hesperiidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Global Ranking: G1G3 considered by Louisiana and Texas to be a Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN)
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Papilionoidea
- Family
- Hesperiidae (Skippers)
- Subfamily
- Hesperiinae
- Tribe
- Hesperiini
- Genus
- Euphyes
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
specialist of brackish marshes
Geographic Range
Coastal se TX to sw LA - Map - MPG Type Locality: “Bay St. Louis, Hancock County, Mississippi”
Seasonal Activity
May to November - MPG
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Larval hostplant is unconfirmed but is probably sawgrass - Cladium sp. (Cyperaceae). (Vaughan and Shepherd 2005)
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Euphyes bayensis Shuey, 1989
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Euphyes bayensis. 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 Bay Skipper - Hodges#4072.1 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Corey Husic; Additional contributions by Mike Quinn , Maury Heiman , Nick Block
Frequently Asked Questions About Bay Skipper - Hodges#4072.1
What is Bay Skipper - Hodges#4072.1?
Bay Skipper - Hodges#4072.1 (Euphyes bayensis) is a species in the family Hesperiidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
Where is Bay Skipper - Hodges#4072.1 found?
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Habitat | specialist of brackish marshes |
| Range | Coastal se TX to sw LA - Map - MPG Type Locality: Bay St. Louis, Hancock County, Mississippi |
What does Bay Skipper - Hodges#4072.1 eat?
The diet of the Bay Skipper - Hodges#4072.1 includes Larval hostplant is unconfirmed but is probably sawgrass - Cladium sp. (Cyperaceae). (Vaughan and Shepherd 2005).
When is Bay Skipper - Hodges#4072.1 active?
Bay Skipper - Hodges#4072.1: seasonal activity - May to November - MPG.