| Pseudocopaeodes eunus | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
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Vulnerable (NatureServe) |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Hesperiidae |
| Genus: | Pseudocopaeodes |
| Species: | P. eunus |
| Binomial name | |
| Pseudocopaeodes eunus (Edwards, 1881) |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
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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,[1] and Baja California in Mexico.[2] There are five subspecies.[3] 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.[4]
This butterfly is brownish to yellowish orange on the upper side and yellowish below. It is 2.5 to 3.2 centimeters in length.[2]
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.[1]