Diet

• Adults feed on nectar from a variety of small flowers and can be attracted to flowering plants in open, sunny areas.

• The caterpillars feed primarily on legumes (Fabaceae).

• Caterpillars construct shelters by rolling or tying leaves together, where they remain while feeding and resting.

Range

• The Mimosa Skipper has a remarkably broad distribution extending from Mexico through Central America and much of South America to Argentina, with its range reaching north into southern Texas.

• It is an occasional butterfly in the Zihua area, particularly in open vegetation, along waterways, and around disturbed areas where legumes are abundant.

Habitat

• It favours open and semi-open habitats, including grassy areas, fields, stream margins, canals, woodland clearings, and gardens.

• Unlike many tropical skippers that are closely associated with forest, C. calchas readily occupies disturbed and human-modified environments.

• Males often perch in grassy openings while watching for females and may make short, rapid flights from low vegetation.

Description

• A relatively small to medium-sized skipper with a wingspan of approximately 30–45 mm.

• The upper surface is predominantly dark brown, with elongated forewings characteristic of the genus.

• The forewing usually has three or four tiny white spots near the apex, sometimes accompanied by a faint pale spot farther toward the leading edge.

• The underside is also dark brown, but the hindwing has a distinctive greyish anal fold and several pale, wavy lines.

• Its subdued coloration and elongated wings give it a rather inconspicuous appearance, particularly when perched among dry grasses or brown foliage.