Diet

• The caterpillars of Hesperiidae feed on a wide variety of plants, with host use varying considerably among subfamilies and genera.

• Grass skippers in the subfamily Hesperiinae commonly feed on grasses (Poaceae), sedges and rushes, while many spread-wing skippers use broad-leaved plants.

• Important host-plant families among spread-wing skippers include Fabaceae, Malvaceae, Fagaceae and Salicaceae.

• Caterpillars generally feed on leaves and construct shelters by folding, rolling or joining leaves together with silk.

Habitat

• Hesperiid caterpillars occur in a wide variety of habitats wherever their host plants grow, including grasslands, meadows, forest edges, tropical forest, scrub, wetlands, agricultural areas and disturbed vegetation.

• Species associated with grasses and sedges are particularly common in open habitats, while many species using shrubs, vines and trees occur along woodland margins and in forest clearings.

• In the Zihua region, suitable habitat includes tropical dry forest, woodland edges, scrub, grassland, agricultural areas and disturbed vegetation supporting their diverse host plants.

Description

• Hesperiid caterpillars are generally cylindrical and relatively smooth, with a distinctly enlarged head separated from the narrower thorax by a conspicuous constriction resembling a neck.

• They are commonly greenish, yellowish, whitish or brownish, although colour and markings vary substantially among species.

• Most have short hairs or fine setae rather than the prominent spines found in many other butterfly families.

• The larvae commonly construct individual shelters from leaves by folding or rolling them and securing them with silk.

• Many species feed primarily at night and remain concealed within their silken leaf shelters during the day.