Pseudocopaeodes eunus
Encyclopedia
Pseudocopaeodes eunus is a rare species of butterfly
known by the common name alkali skipper. It is native to northern California
and Nevada
in the United States, and Baja California
in Mexico. There are five subspecies. One, ssp. obscurus, the Carson wandering skipper, is treated as a federally listed endangered species
of the United States. As of 2007 there are four known populations.
This butterfly is brownish to yellowish orange on the upper side and yellowish below. It is 2.5 to 3.2 centimeters in length.
This species occurs on alkali flats. The caterpillar
of the species feeds on saltgrass (Distichlis spicata var. stricta). There is little other information about the biology of the species.
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
known by the common name alkali skipper. It is native to northern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
in the United States, and Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
in Mexico. There are five subspecies. One, ssp. obscurus, the Carson wandering skipper, is treated as a federally listed endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
of the United States. As of 2007 there are four known populations.
This butterfly is brownish to yellowish orange on the upper side and yellowish below. It is 2.5 to 3.2 centimeters in length.
This species occurs on alkali flats. The caterpillar
Caterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
of the species feeds on saltgrass (Distichlis spicata var. stricta). There is little other information about the biology of the species.
Subspecies
- Pseudocopaeodes eunus eunus
- Pseudocopaeodes eunus alinea Scott, 1981
- Pseudocopaeodes eunus chromis (Skinner, 1919) (Mexico)
- Pseudocopaeodes eunus obscurus Austin & Emmel, 1998 (eastern California, Nevada)
- Pseudocopaeodes eunus flavus Austin & Emmel, 1998 (Nevada)