Nastra neamathla

(Skinner & Williams, 1923)

neamathla skipper, southern swarthy skipper

Nastra neamathla is a grass in the Hesperiidae, commonly known as the neamathla skipper or southern swarthy skipper. It is distinguished by its plain brown upperside wings and distinctive black-based, yellow-brown underside. The is found in the Southeastern United States.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Nastra neamathla: //ˈnæs.trə niˈæm.ə.θlə//

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Identification

Distinguished from similar skippers by the combination of completely unmarked brown upperside wings, black base on the wing underside, and yellow-brown hindwing underside without pale scaling on the . The lack of markings on the upperside separates it from many other Hesperiidae .

Appearance

Wings are plain brown on the upperside with no markings. The underside of the wing is black at the base and yellow-brown on the remainder. The hindwing underside is yellow-brown and lacks pale on the .

Distribution

Southeastern United States; present in North America and Middle America according to distribution records

Human Relevance

Assigned MONA/Hodges number 3995 for North American and identification systems

Similar Taxa

  • Other Nastra speciesSimilar plain brown coloration, but N. neamathla distinguished by black basal area on underside and lack of pale hindwing scaling
  • Other Hesperiinae grass skippersMany have spotted or marked uppersides; N. neamathla's completely unmarked upperside is distinctive

More Details

Taxonomic history

Originally described as Lerodea neamathla before transfer to Nastra

Tags

Sources and further reading