Phocides pigmalion okeechobee
Photo Life History: Bug Life Cycles
Habitat: Red Mangrove Swamps and Hammocks
Host Plants: Rhizophora mangle
Suitable Lab Host Plants:
Caring for Live Female Butterflies:
Methods of Female Oviposition:
How to Find Eggs:
How to Hatch Eggs:
How to Find Caterpillars in the Field: Larvae make typical spread-wing skipper nests on red mangrove. These can be somewhat conspicuous; but can be difficult to locate because of how much host grows within the habitat. Although females will oviposit on red mangroves growing out in the relative open, I have had much better luck locating larval nests on plants found deep within the interior of the red mangove swamps. This requires some patience to traverse because of the denseness of these swamps.
Caterpillar setups: Potted Plant. Using red mangrove cuttings did not work very well for me as late instar larvae fed; but did not grow. Using potted young red mangrove seedlings works much better.
Larva to Pupa: Last instar caterpillars pupate in their nests.
How to Find Pupae in the Field: Look for evidence of caterpillar feeding by looking for unique nests on red mangrove. Larvae will pupate in their nests.
Number of Broods per Year: Can fly year round in South Florida.
Overwintering Stage:
Overwintering Strategies:
Post-Hibernation Strategies:
Avoiding Diapause Techniques: Provide larvae with healthy host plant. Diapause prevention is not normally needed.
Disease Prevention:
Emergence: Emergence Container
Field Notes: Found larvae and pupae in nests on red mangroves growing along US 1 between the Florida mainland and Key Largo in March, 2000.
