Diet

• Caterpillars feed on plants in the mallow family (Malvaceae). Adults feed on flower nectar and are often encountered visiting small flowering plants in open vegetation.

Range

• Heliopetes arsalte has a broad Neotropical distribution extending from Argentina north through South America, Central America, and Mexico.

• In Mexico it occurs along both the Pacific and Gulf regions, including Guerrero. It is also known as an occasional stray into southern Texas.

• It is occasionally sighted in the Zihua area, particularly where open vegetation and flowering plants occur.

Habitat

• This skipper favours open subtropical and tropical environments rather than dense forest. Typical habitats include scrub, forest edges, weedy pastures, roadsides, clearings, and other disturbed or semi-open areas.

• In tropical regions it can also occur around forest openings and vegetation along the edges of woodland.

Description

• The Veined White-Skipper is a small, relatively delicate spread-wing skipper with a wingspan of approximately 37–43 mm.

• The upper surface is predominantly white, with a contrasting black or dark brown area at the tips of the forewings. The underside of the forewing has an orange area near the leading edge at the wing base.

• Its most distinctive feature is the underside of the hindwing, where the dark veins stand out strongly against the pale background, giving the species its common name.

• The wings are relatively broad and rounded compared with many other skippers, and the butterfly often rests with its wings spread flat. Its rapid, short flights can make it easy to overlook despite the conspicuous white colouring.