Long Tailed Skipper are fast and erratic fliers found from tropical to subtropical South America to southern parts of Argentina and a small area in the southern US.
   They prefer brush covered fields, meadows, the edges of woods, manmade gardens, and various disturbed open habitats.
   As adults, they have a lifespan of two to five weeks.
  Urbanus proteus' tails are long.
  Their dorsal side colors are dark black to brown, with their body and wing bases having iridescent blue to green accents. Males have an anterior on the leading edge of the forewing. A dark row on ventral side hindwing forms a complete band.
   Adults will roost upside down under leaves and limbs.
   To find females, males perch 3 - 6' above the ground in sunny openings.
   Once mated, females will lay their eggs under leaves in clusters of up to 20.
   There are two to three broods per year throughout south Florida and South Texas.
   
*In autumn, a nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV) often kills up to 50% of the caterpillar population !!