Lesser dart (Potanthus omaha)

Lesser dart (Potanthus omaha) is a species of butterfly belonging to the family Hesperiidae. It features a combination of yellow markings against a dark gray background, has a wingspan of 21–24 mm, and possesses a hairy body. It flies with quick, agile movements and is frequently seen basking in sunlit areas or visiting flowers to feed on nectar.

The upperside of the wings is dark brown with yellow-orange patterns. The hindwing features a single spot in space 7. On the forewing, the postdiscal band is interrupted near vein 6, and the spot in space 3 barely overlaps with the spot in space 4. The underside of the wings is black, covered in yellow-orange scales, and adorned with yellow-orange bands similar to those on the upperside.



Eggs are laid singly on the underside of the host plant's leaves. They are dome-shaped, yellowish-white in color, and marked with numerous fine, longitudinal ridges; they measure 0.85 mm in basal diameter and 0.75 mm in height. The eggs take 4.5–5 days to hatch.

Upon hatching, the caterpillar consumes a portion of the eggshell to emerge, then finishes eating the remainder of the shell. The caterpillar is 2 mm long, with a whitish body and a cluster of setae at the posterior end. The head capsule is entirely black, and there is a black band on the dorsum of the prothorax, just behind the head.

In the first instar, the caterpillar constructs a shelter at the tip of a leaf. Its body color shifts to a pale yellowish-green. This stage lasts 5 days, with the caterpillar reaching a length of 4 mm.

In the second instar, the caterpillar is yellowish-green with a black head capsule. This stage lasts 5–6 days, with the caterpillar reaching a length of 7–7.5 mm.

In the third instar, the anal plate changes color, ranging from brown to black. This phase lasts 5–6 days, with a length of 11–12 mm.

In the 4th instar, the anal plate is broader and predominantly black. This phase lasts 5–6 days, with a length of 17–18 mm.

In the 5th instar, the areas along the frontal suture and the margins are dark brown, while the space between them is whitish. The body is pale yellowish-green, and the anal plate is no longer elongated as it was in the previous instar. This phase lasts 7–8 days, with a length of 31–33 mm. Toward the end of this phase, the caterpillar’s body shortens, and its color shifts uniformly to a whitish-yellow. A pupation chamber is constructed by folding and sealing the remaining parts of a leaf. The caterpillar spins a silk pad and secretes a significant amount of a whitish, waxy substance onto the inner walls. The prepupal phase lasts 1 day.

The pupa is protected within a narrow chamber where it undergoes pupation. Its long, slender body is primarily pale yellowish-brown and coated in a white, waxy substance. At the anterior end, there are two large, reddish-brown, eye-like markings. The pupa measures 15.5–18 mm in length.

On the final day of this stage, the pupa turns dark brown to black. After a 9-day pupal period, eclosion occurs, during which the adult insect emerges from the pupal casing.

TAXON

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Subclass: Pterygota
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Papilionoidea
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Tribe: Taractrocerini
Genus: Potanthus Scudder (1872)
Spesies: Potanthus omaha Edwards (1863)

SYNONYMS

Hesperia omaha Edwards (1863)
Pamphila maesoides Butler (1877)
Telicota luzonensis Staudinger (1889)

PUBLICATIONS

Edwards (1863) Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Philadelphia. 2.

VERNACULAR NAME

Chinese (simplified): 奥玛室弄蝶
English: Lesser Dart
Indonesia: Kupu-kupu darti
Java: Kupu darti
Thai: ผีเสื้อหนอนหญ้าแดงเล็ก

Aryo Bandoro
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