FAMILY I 



THE GIANT SKIPPERS 



Family Megathymidse (Meg-a-thym'i-dae) 



This family includes a small number of large skippers, which 

 are found in the South and far West. In the adult insect the 

 head is of moderate size, the width, including the eyes, being 

 much less than that of the metathorax. The club of the 

 antenna? is large, and although the tip is turned slightly to 

 one side, it is neither drawn out to a point nor recurved. The 

 body is very robust, even more so than in the common skip- 

 pers. These insects fly in the daytime and with a rapid, dart- 

 ing flight. When at rest they fold their wings in a vertical 

 position. 



This family is represented in the United States by a single 

 genus including five species. The two following are the best- 

 known species. 



THE COFAQUI SKIPPER 

 Megathymus cofaqui (Meg-a-thy'mus cof-a-qui') 



The female of this species is represented by Fig. 42. The 

 male differs in the smaller size of the spots on the fore wing, 

 in lacking the band of spots on the hind wing, and in hav- 

 ing the upper surface of the hind wing nearly covered with 

 long fine black hairs, which stand nearly erect. This species 

 has been found in Florida and Colorado. 



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