Dorantes longtail, Thorybes dorantes (Lepidotopera: Hesperiidae): first record for Canada and probable origin

Abstract

We report the first observation of the Dorantes longtail, Thorybes dorantes (Stoll, 1790) (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae), in Canada. On 16 April 2023, a single adult was observed on the northwest shore of Lake Ontario, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The observation represents a 1500- to 2000-km disjunction from the species' nearest known populations in North America. After considering several scenarios that could explain the occurrence of the Dorantes longtail in Canada, the most likely explanation is that the observed individual came in on produce through the Ontario Food Terminal, Etobicoke, Ontario, providing another example of the constant pressure of species introductions to the region.