THE GIANT SKIPPERS 267 



THE GIANT SKIPPERS 



Family Megathymidae 



Although large in size, the Giant Skippers are few in 

 numbers. Only one genus and five species are listed for 

 North America, and practically all of these are confined 

 to the Southwestern states and Mexico. Some of them 

 extend as far north as Colorado and as far east as Florida. 



So far as the story of its life is concerned, the best- 



Megathymus yuccae. Female. (After Riley.) 



known species is the Yucca-borer Skipper {Megathymus 

 yuccae) which was carefully studied by the late Dr. C. V. 

 Riley. As will be seen from the picture above which 

 represents the adult, natural size, this skipper has 

 a body so large as to suggest some of the heavy-bodied 

 moths. The wings are dark brown, marked with red- 

 brown spots and bands. They fly by day and when at 

 rest hold the wings erect. 



These adults lay eggs upon the leaves of Spanish needle 

 or yucca. The eggs soon hatch into little caterpillars 

 which at first roll parts of the leaves into cylinders, fas- 



