Whirlabout

Description:

The two pairs of blotchy dark spots on the hindwing underside are distinctive for this butterfly, but it's still easy to confuse them with certain individuals of the similar but much more common Fiery Skipper. Note that some Fierys have the lower pair of blotchy spots on the hindwing, but the upper two spots are not paired in Fiery. Wing shape is also different - Whirlabout is compact, while Fiery has a more elongate shape.

Habitat:

Habitat: Scrubby or open habitats including dunes, fields, pinewoods, roadsides, forest openings, yards, and parks. Range: Southeastern United States and the West Indies south through eastern Mexico and central America to Argentina. Periodically strays north to northeast Iowa, northern Ohio, and Connecticut. This one was observed at the stork ponds at the Silver Bluff Audubon Center in the midlands of South Carolina.

Notes:

Life History: Adult flight is quick and darting. Females are usually found in forest openings or edges; males perch to await females during the afternoon. Caterpillars live in a tube of silked-together leaves and feed mostly at night. Flight: Two broods from April-September in the north; all year in Florida and South Texas. Caterpillar Hosts: Grasses including Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon), St. Augustine grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum), and thin paspalum (Paspalum setaceum). Adult Food: Nectar from flowers including shepherd\'s needle and lantana.