Natural History and Habitat Suitability Modeling of the Guatemalan Giant Skipper Agathymus indecisa (Butler & H. Druce, 1872) (Hesperiidae: Hesperiinae) in Central America

Abstract

Agathymus indecisa is a poorly known Central American giant skipper with limited natural history documentation. We report observations from Curubandé, Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica, documenting host plant associations, adult behavior, and distribution, based on a survey conducted on 24 and 25 December 2025. We confirm Furcraea cabuya (Asparagaceae) as a larval host plant, with larvae feeding internally within leaves. Female skippers exhibited strong size-selectivity, ovipositing only on plants ≥90 cm height. Multiple infestations per plant caused no apparent host damage. Evidence of egg parasitism was observed. Species distribution modeling (BIOCLIM, AUC = 0.92) predicted suitable habitat from southern Mexico to western Panama in Central America, with undocumented suitable areas in Nicaragua, Honduras, and Belize. These observations provide the first detailed natural history data for this species and highlight potential conservation concerns given the threatened status of Central American dry forests.