Heliopetes macaira, the Turk's-cap white-skipper , is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found from southern Texas in North America, south through Central America to Paraguay.

Heliopetes macaira
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Hesperiidae
Genus: Heliopetes
Species:
H. macaira
Binomial name
Heliopetes macaira
(Reakirt, [1867])
Synonyms
  • Pyrgus macaira Reakirt, [1867]
  • Hesperia macaria
  • Leucoscirtes nivea Scudder, 1872 (preocc. Cramer, 1775)
  • Leucochitonea locutia Hewitson, 1875
  • Leucochitonea eulalia Plötz, 1885
  • Heliopetes cnemus Godman & Salvin, [1897]
  • Heliopetes locutia
  • Leucochitonea orbigera Mabille, 1888
  • Heliopetes macaroides Williams & Bell, 1940

The wingspan is 32–35 mm. There are several generations with adults on wing from April to November in southern Texas.

The larvae feed on Malvaviscus drummondii. Adults feed on flower nectar.

Subspecies

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  • Heliopetes macaira macaira (Arizona, Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, Venezuela)
  • Heliopetes macaira orbigera (Brazil, Bolivia)
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