Diet

• It belongs to the skipper subfamily Hesperiinae, whose caterpillars generally feed on grasses and other monocotyledonous plants.

• Adults visit flowers for nectar and may also obtain nutrients from damp ground and other moist surfaces.

Range

• Zariaspes mythecus is a Mexican skipper with a distribution centred on western Mexico.

• Guerrero is within its range, and the species occurs in the Zihua region. Its type locality is in Guerrero.

• It is generally associated with the Pacific side of Mexico, with records extending northward into Colima and other western states.

Habitat

• It inhabits tropical dry forest, thorn scrub, woodland edges, clearings and secondary vegetation.

• In the Zihua region, suitable habitat includes tropical dry forest, xerophytic shrubland, open woodland and disturbed vegetation.

• Adults are likely to be encountered in sunny openings and along forest margins, where they perch on grasses and low vegetation.

Description

• A small to medium-sized grass skipper with the compact appearance typical of the genus Zariaspes.

• The wings are predominantly brown, with contrasting pale or yellowish markings on the forewings.

• The hindwings are rounded and relatively subdued in pattern, without the long tails characteristic of many long-tailed skippers.