Autochton cellus, the golden banded-skipper, is a North and Central Americanbutterfly in the family Hesperiidae. There are two populations, one in the eastern United States and the other in the southwestern United States and Mexico. The eastern population is rare and local and uses only one host plant, the thicket bean. The southwestern population is uncommon to common and uses more than one host plant. The golden banded-skipper is most active mid-morning and late afternoon. Their flight is sluggish and low to the ground, compared to closely related species.
Description
The upperside of the wings are chocolate brown with a golden median band on the forewing. The hindwing has a checkered fringe. The underside of the wings are very similar to the upperside. Its wingspan measures.
Similar species
The golden banded-skipper has many similar species in its range such as the Sonoran banded-skipper, the Sierra Madre banded-skipper, the Chisos banded-skipper, the dark-fringed banded-skipper, the spiky banded-skipper, the two-spotted banded-skipper, the sharp banded-skipper, and the narrow banded-skipper.
Habitat
In the east this butterfly prefers moist, steep woodlands while in the southwest, it favors canyonriparian habitat. It appears to be declining in the east where it has lost habitat around Washington, D.C., and around West Virginia.
Flight
The golden banded-skipper flies in the east from June to August, from February to September in Florida, and in the southwest, from mid-June to early September in Arizona.
Life cycle
Golden banded-skippers have a strange mix of patrolling and perching in their courtship. Females lay their eggs on the underside of host plant leaves in clusters of two to nine in a row. The egg is yellow but turns tan just before hatching. The larva makes a nest out of leaves, attaching them together with silk. It comes out of its nest at night to feed. The larva is pine green with small yellow spots and has a yellow lateral stripe. The black head has two facial orange spots and a reddish collar. The pupa is dark brown with a greenish hue. It overwinters as a pupa. The golden banded-skipper has one to three broods per year.
