Diet

• Adults feed on flower nectar and are often attracted to small flowers growing along washes, forest edges, and other sunny openings.

• The caterpillar's host is promarily acacia plants

• Adults may also obtain minerals from damp soil and moist streambeds.

Range

• The Acacia Skipper has a broad Neotropical distribution extending from the southwestern United States through Mexico and Central America into northern South America.

• Guerrero is within its range, including warmer Pacific-slope environments.

• It is an occasional butterfly in the Zihua area, particularly around dry woodland, thorny vegetation, and stream corridors where suitable acacias occur.

Habitat

• It favors dry tropical woodland, thorn scrub, open forest, grassland, canyons, washes, and forest edges.

• In tropical areas it can occur in relatively dry seasonal habitats as well as along wetter drainage corridors.

• Adults often remain close to the ground, flying in short, somewhat bouncing flights between shrubs and low vegetation.

Description

• A medium-sized skipper with a wingspan of approximately 35–48 mm.

• The upper surface is predominantly reddish brown to warm chocolate-brown.

• The forewing has a conspicuous group of large translucent white spots, particularly toward the middle and outer portion of the wing.

• The fringes are strongly contrasting: the forewing fringe is checkered, while the hindwing fringe is largely creamy white.

• The underside of the hindwing is brown with a subtle lavender or purplish cast and irregular grayish bands.

• Its combination of reddish-brown wings, prominent white forewing spots, pale hindwing fringe, and banded hindwing underside helps distinguish it from the similar Cogia calchas.