Pelopidas mathias, the dark small-branded swift, small branded swift, lesser millet skipper or black branded swift, is a butterfly belonging to the family Hesperiidae. It is found throughout much of south, southeast and East Asia, and as far as the Philippines. It is also present in tropical Africa and Arabia.
Description
In 1891, Edward Yerbury Watson described it as:
Role in agriculture
P. mathias is considered a pest to rice-growing cultures, although it is not as damaging to rice plants as Parnara guttata. Newly hatched caterpillars are especially voracious in eating young seedlings. They also use silken threads to roll up and stitch together partially eaten leaves for more efficient consumption.
Subspecies
Pelopidas mathias mathias
Pelopidas mathias oberthueri Evans, 1937
Pelopidas mathias repetita (Butler, 1882) (Admiralty Island, Dampier Island, Vulcan Island)
References
Pelopidas (skipper) Butterflies of Asia Butterflies described in 1798 Butterflies of Singapore Butterflies of Indochina Insect pests of millets