Long-tailed Skipper
Urbanus proteus
A fast-flying Florida skipper with blue-green sheen and long hindwing tails, this butterfly also has a bean-feeding caterpillar.
The long-tailed skipper is a native butterfly found throughout Florida in gardens, open areas, and woodland edges. Adults visit flowers for nectar. Its caterpillar, also called the bean leafroller, feeds on legumes and folds leaves into shelters.
Adults occur year-round in southern Florida. They become more noticeable farther north later in the warm season, with many seen moving south in autumn.
Habitat:
Urban and Residential Areas, Grasslands and Agricultural Areas, Forests and Woodlands
Area / Range:
Statewide
Diet:
Adults drink nectar from flowers. Caterpillars eat leaves of legumes, including beans, peas, tick-trefoils, and butterfly pea.
Behavior:
Adults fly quickly between blossoms in daylight. Females lay eggs on host plants; larvae shelter in folded leaves and feed mostly at night. The species can breed year-round in southern Florida.
Day
Active Times:
Best time to see:
Warm daylight around nectar flowers; especially late summer and fall in northern Florida.
Florida Native Status:
Native
Conservation Status:
Widespread in Florida; not listed as a threatened Florida species.
Safety Level:
Low Risk
Safety Information:
This butterfly does not sting or bite people. Avoid handling it; protect nectar and host plants when managing garden insects.
Benefits to Property:
Adults visit garden flowers for nectar and add visible butterfly diversity. Legume host plants can support the full life cycle.
Property Concerns:
Caterpillars can roll and chew leaves of garden beans and related crops, especially later in the growing season. Check folded leaves before treating and use targeted, low-impact management only if damage warrants it.
Fun Fact:
The adult's blue-green wing sheen can flash in sunlight even though the wings look mostly brown at rest.
The caterpillar makes a portable-looking leaf shelter by folding foliage and fastening it with silk.
Wildlife Laws:
No species-specific Florida harvest rule is identified for this common skipper. Follow applicable park rules and property permissions; avoid collecting butterflies or using pesticides in protected areas.
Identification:
Adults have chocolate-brown wings, pale rectangular forewing spots, iridescent blue-green scaling near the wing bases and body, and two long, narrow hindwing tails. The wingspan is about 2 inches (50 mm).
Bean leafroller caterpillars are yellowish with dark heads and make folded, silk-held shelters in legume leaves.