Heliopetes laviana

Heliopetes laviana, the Laviana white-skipper or Laviana skipper, is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found from Argentina through Central America and northern Mexico to southern Texas. Strays can be found in southern Arizona and central and northern Texas. The habitat consists of edges of brushy areas, trails, roadsides, open woodland, thorn forest and streamsides.

Heliopetes laviana
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Hesperiidae
Genus:
Heliopetes
Species:
H. laviana
Binomial name
Heliopetes laviana
(Hewitson, 1868)[1]
Synonyms
  • Leucochitonea laviana Hewitson, 1868
  • Leucochitonea pastor R. Felder, 1869
  • Syrichtus oceanus Edwards, 1871
  • Heliopetes dividua Röber, 1925
  • Pyrgus leca Butler, 1870

The wingspan is 35–42 mm. The upperside of the males is white with dark markings along the outer wing margins. Females have wider markings than males and also have grey wing bases. The underside of the hindwings has an olive-grey patch on the outer third which is sharply separated from the paler median area. The dark basal area contains a pale triangular patch. There are multiple generations per year in southern Texas. Adults feed on flower nectar.

The larvae feed on the leaves of various mallows, including Sphaeralcea, Sida and Abutilon species. They live in a nest of folded leaves.[2]

Subspecies
  • Heliopetes laviana laviana (Texas, Arizona, Mexico, Nicaragua, Colombia)
  • Heliopetes laviana leca (Butler, 1870) (Venezuela)
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References
  1. Heliopetes at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
  2. Heliopetes laviana at Butterflies and Moths of North America


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