Butterfly of the month 

Long-Tailed Skipper

By Don Morris

The Long-Tailed skipper is one the most common and distinctive skippers in Florida and resembles a small swallowtail. It has a quick skipping low flight. This butterfly is migratory and moves south in the fall to over winter in the southern parts of Florida. There are three generations a year.  Its wing span is about two inches wide and it is brown with a blue-green iridescent scaling on the wing bases and body.  Its host plants are many types of legumes, for example Hairy Cowpea as well as Ticktrefoil. The larvae construct individual shelters on the host by folding over small sections of the leaf with silk.

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