Butterflies of Zihuatanejo

SUPERFAMILY PAPILIONOIDEA

-Subtribe Calpodina

-Purple-washed Skipper (Panoquina lucas)

Panoquina lucas, commonly known as the Purple-washed Skipper, is a small grass skipper in the family Hesperiidae. It is similar in shape and behavior to other Panoquina species but is distinguished by its subtle coloration. The wings are typically dark brown, often showing a faint purplish or violet sheen, especially in certain lighting—this “wash” gives the species its common name. Males may also show a dark stigma (scent patch) on the forewing, while females are generally duller and more uniformly brown. The underside is usually light tan to brown with minimal markings, providing effective camouflage.

Diet

Caterpillars feed on grasses (Poaceae).
The larvae live within shelters made by folding and fastening grass leaves with silk.
Adults feed on flower nectar, including flowers of Lantana and other common tropical flowering plants.

Range

Panoquina lucas has an exceptionally broad range extending from the southern United States through Mexico and Central America, across the Caribbean and into South America as far south as Argentina.
It occurs in Guerrero and is found in the Zihua area.
It is widespread in tropical Mexico and can occur throughout the year in warm parts of its range.

Habitat

It occurs in tropical and subtropical forest edges, open woodland, scrub, fields, roadsides, gardens and grassy clearings.
In the Zihua area, sunny grassy openings and disturbed areas containing suitable grasses provide typical habitat.

Description

A medium-sized skipper with a wingspan of approximately 35–46 mm.
The upper surface is dark brown, with several pale translucent spots on the forewings.
Males have a distinctive elongated dark scent-scale patch in the forewing cell.
The underside of the hindwing is brown to purplish-brown and has a conspicuous straight or slightly diagonal row of small pale blue, purple or white spots.
Females often show a stronger blue or purple sheen on the wings than males.
The combination of the elongated body shape, dark wings and row of pale spots on the hindwing underside helps distinguish it from other Panoquina species.