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Long-tailed
Skipper Butterfly - Bean Leafroller - Urbanus proteus
Order Lepidoptera -- Borboleta, butterflies, Mariposa,
moths, papillons, papillons de nuit Suborder
Macrolepidoptera / Superfamily Hesperioidea
Family
Hesperiidae -- skippers / Genus Urbanus
Species Urbanus
proteus (Linnaeus) -- bean leafroller
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Our butterfly pictures are free for noncommercial use. Please select a
thumbnail for larger image. |
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Bean Leafroller Caterpillar |
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The long tailed skipper butterfly's larva is also commonly known
as the bean leafroller. It is a common agricultural pest
throughout the southeastern U.S. These pictures were taken near
Alpharetta, GA. Bean leafroller larvae feed on the foliage of
legumes (beans, cowpeas, lima beans, snap peas and
soybeans,etc.), and are notable for the habit of making a
shelter by rolling over leaves and lining the inside with silk.
This shelter is used during feeding and an even larger shelter
is constructed for pupation. The caterpillars are accomplished
defoliators, but fairly large numbers of them are required to
actually kill a plant. Long tailed skipper caterpillars are
preyed upon by certain
tachinid flies,
Polistes (paper) wasps, and
stinkbugs (Hemiptera family Pentatomidae). More information
on these garden pests can be found at the featured creature
website, by the
University of Florida.
I was actually sorry to learn this captivating skipper is a
pest. It's one of the largest skippers extant, and an energetic,
entertaining creature to pursue and photograph.
Bean leafroller caterpillar photo courtesy Clemson University -
USDA Cooperative Extension, www.forestryimages.org |
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