Alabama Butterfly Atlas

Butterfly:. Wingspan: 1 - 1¼ inches (2.5 - 3.2 cm). The underside of the hindwing is dark brown with contrasting white veins which are criss-crossed by white bands to form a complex, lace-like pattern. The underside of the forewing has a white band that also contributes to this pattern.  The upperside of the hindwing is brown while the forewing has an arc of white spots forming a curved white band near the central portion of the wing. The fringes of the outer wing margins are checkered with dark brown and white squares.

Egg: Pale white eggs are laid singly.

Caterpillar: Small in size: head is pale with black stripes; body is lightly frosted with white. A portion of the life history was described by John and Gloria Tveten in their book Butterflies of Houston and southeastern Texas (published by University of Texas Press, Austin, 1996).  They stated, “We report our experience with the life history here, because it does not appear in other readily available references. A dozen caterpillars ranging from three to twenty-six millimeters (one inch) long were found by carefully searching stands of giant cane along a woodland stream.  Each was well-separated from other larvae, and each was concealed within a folded leaf. The smallest larva makes a fold near the tip of the leaf blade and along one edge; the mature larvae make a tube by tying together the opposite edges of the blade.  The caterpillar feeds at the end of its shelter, finally leaving only a short tube hanging from a long section of the bare midrib. It then crawls quickly to another leaf and rolls it tightly.” The authors later stated, “Before pupation, the caterpillar isolated a segment of leaf slightly more than an inch long by chewing away the blade both above and below, leaving the section hanging by the rib, stitching the edges tightly together.  The caterpillar then pupated within this secure shelter suspended in the air.” Caterpillars clip their shelter from the plant, let it fall to the ground, and overwinter inside it.The caterpillars are pale-green with a dark green mid-dorsal stripe. The tan head has two dark brown vertical stripes on each side of the facial area.

Chrysalis: According to the Tvetens, the pupae are tan with bulging eye cases and a long proboscis that reaches nearly to the end of the abdomen.  There was no head projection as is seen in a large number of skippers. Adults emerged within 10 to 15 days.