Grass skippers or banded skippers
are butterflies of the subfamily Hesperiinae, part of the
skipper family, Hesperiidae. The subfamily was established by
Pierre André Latreille
Pierre André Latreille (; 29 November 1762 – 6 February 1833) was a French zoologist, specialising in arthropods. Having trained as a Roman Catholic priest before the French Revolution, Latreille was imprisoned, and only regained his freedom ...
in 1809.
Description and distribution
With over 2,000 described
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
, this is the largest skipper butterfly subfamily and occurs worldwide except in New Zealand.
About 50 percent of grass skippers live in the
Neotropics
The Neotropical realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting Earth's land surface. Physically, it includes the tropics, tropical Ecoregion#Terrestrial, terrestrial ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperat ...
.
137 species are native to North America. Around 38 species are native to Australia.
Genera ''Ochlodes'' and ''Hesperia'' exist exclusively in the
Holarctic
The Holarctic realm is a biogeographic realm that comprises the majority of habitats found throughout the continents in the Northern Hemisphere. It corresponds to the floristic Boreal Kingdom. It includes both the Nearctic zoogeographical region ...
.
They are usually orange, rust, or brown in colour and have pointed forewings.
Many species have dark markings or black stigmas on their forewings.
Most members of this subfamily have an oval antenna club with an
apiculus on the tip, although ''
Carterocephalus
''Carterocephalus'' is a Holarctic genus of skipperlings in the skipper family, Hesperiidae.
The wing colour is yellow, white, dark-brown and black with a variously spotted appearance. The hindwing upperside is dark with clear cut rounded light ...
'' and ''
Piruna
''Piruna'' is a genus of skippers in the family Hesperiidae.
Species
*'' Piruna aea'' (Dyar, 1912)
*'' Piruna ajijiciensis'' Freeman, 1970
*'' Piruna brunnea'' (Scudder, 1872)
*'' Piruna ceracates'' (Hewitson, 1874)
*'' Piruna cyclosticta'' ...
'' do not.
The antennae generally has a sharp bend.
Hesperiinae larvae feed on many different types of grasses and
sedges
The Cyperaceae are a family of graminoid (grass-like), monocotyledonous flowering plants known as sedges. The family is large, with some 5,500 known species described in about 90 genera, the largest being the "true sedges" genus ''Carex'' wit ...
and palms, though some species are limited.
Adults typically visit flowers and hold their wings together while feeding.
Hesperiinae are unique in that they hold their wings partially open while resting, with the forewings and hindwings held at different angles. This is known as the "jet-plane position".
Most male grass skippers perch to await females.
Adults are strong fliers; they move quickly and usually in a linear direction. Some of the species, however, do flutter and these species patrol for females rather than perch.
Genera ''incertae sedis''
These
grass skipper
genera
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...
have not yet been assigned to
tribes
The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to conflic ...
:
*''
Acada
''Acada'' is an Afrotropical genus of skippers.
Species
*'' Acada annulifer'' (Holland, 1292)
*'' Acada biseriata'' (Mabille, 1393)
References
External links
Natural History Museum Lepidoptera genus database
Acerbas
Acerbas was a Tyrian priest of Hercules (that is, Melqart, the Tyrian Hercules), who married Elissa, the daughter of king Mattan I, and sister of Pygmalion. He was possessed of considerable wealth, which, knowing the avarice of Pygmalion, who ...
''
*''
Acleros
''Acleros'' is an Afrotropical genus of skippers.
Species
*'' Acleros bibundica'' Strand, 1913
*'' Acleros leucopyga'' (Mabille, 1877)
*'' Acleros mackenii'' (Trimen, 1868)
*'' Acleros neavei'' Evans, 1937
*'' Acleros nigrapex'' Strand, 1913
...
''
*''
Actinor''
*''
Aegiale''
*''
Agathymus
''Agathymus'' is a genus of butterflies in the skipper family, Hesperiidae. They occur in the North American deserts. The genus was described by Hugh Avery Freeman in 1959. The larvae bore into the stems of agave plants.
These butterflies have ...
''
*''
Alera
''Alera'' is a Neotropical
The Neotropical realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting Earth's land surface. Physically, it includes the tropical terrestrial ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperat ...
''
*''
Ancistroides
''Ancistroides'' is a genus of skippers in the family Hesperiidae.
Species
*''Ancistroides armatus'' (Druce, 1873)
*''Ancistroides folus'' (Cramer, 775 - Sri Lanka, India (South India - Saurashtra, Bombay, Ahmedabad, Madhya Pradesh, Lucknow, ...
''
*''
Andronymus
''Andronymus'' is an Afrotropical genus of grass skippers
Grass skippers or banded skippers are butterflies of the subfamily Hesperiinae, part of the skipper family, Hesperiidae. The subfamily was established by Pierre André Latreille in 18 ...
''
*''
Apostictopterus fuliginosus
''Apostictopterus'' is a genus of skippers in the family Hesperiidae. It contains only one species, ''Apostictopterus fuliginosus'', which is found in India (Assam
Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himal ...
''
*''
Arnetta
''Arnetta'' is a genus of grass skippers in the family Hesperiidae.
Species
*Subgenus ''Galerga'' (Mabille, 1898)
**''Arnetta ellipsis'' (Saalmüller, 1884)
**''Arnetta fito'' (Evans, 1937)
**''Arnetta hyposticta'' (Mabille, 1898)
*Subgenus ''Ar ...
''
*''
Artitropa
''Artitropa'' is a genus of skippers in the family Hesperiidae.
Species
*''Artitropa alaotrana
''Artitropa alaotrana'' is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found on Madagascar
Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially ...
''
*''
Astictopterus''
*''
Barca''
*''
Caenides
''Caenides'' is a genus of skippers in the family Hesperiidae.
Species
*'' Caenides benga'' (Holland, 1891) – yellow-patch recluse
*'' Caenides dacela'' (Hewitson, 1876) – common recluse
*'' Caenides dacenilla'' Aurivillius, 1925 – no-sp ...
''
*''
Chondrolepis
''Chondrolepis'' is a genus of skippers in the family Hesperiidae.
The name ''Chondrolepis'' (meaning "thick scales") derives from Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Gree ...
''
*''
Creteus
''Creteus'' is a genus of skippers in the family Hesperiidae. It contains only one species, ''Creteus cyrina'', which is found in Asia, including India, Thailand and Brunei
Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei D ...
''
*''
Cupitha
''Cupitha purreea'', commonly known as the wax dart, is a butterfly belonging to the family Hesperiidae and only species of the genus ''Cupitha''.
Distribution
It is found from southern India and Sikkim to Burma, southern Yunnan, the Andamans, ...
''
*''
Eetion
In Greek mythology, Eëtion or Eetion (; grc, Ἠετίων ''Ēetíōn'' ) was the king of the Cilician Thebe.
Family
Eetion was the father of Andromache, wife of Hector, and of seven sons, including Podes.
Mythology
In Book 6 of the ''Il ...
''
*''
Eogenes
''Eogenes'' is a Palearctic genus of grass skippers
Grass skippers or banded skippers are butterflies of the subfamily Hesperiinae, part of the skipper family, Hesperiidae. The subfamily was established by Pierre André Latreille in 1809.
De ...
''
*''
Erionota
''Erionota'' is a genus of skippers in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in the Indomalayan realm
Species
*'' Erionota acroleuca'' (Wood-Mason & de Nicéville, 1881) Vietnam
*'' Erionota grandis'' (Leech, 1890) West China
*'' Erionota harma ...
''
*''
Fresna
''Fresna'' is a genus of skippers in the family Hesperiidae. They are commonly known as Acraea skippers.
Species
*'' Fresna carlo'' Evans, 1937
*'' Fresna cojo'' (Karsch, 1893)
*'' Fresna jacquelinae'' Collins & Larsen, 2003
*'' Fresna maessen ...
''
*''
Fulda
Fulda () (historically in English called Fuld) is a town in Hesse, Germany; it is located on the river Fulda and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district (''Kreis''). In 1990, the town hosted the 30th Hessentag state festival.
History ...
''
*''
Galerga
''Arnetta'' is a genus of grass skippers in the family Hesperiidae.
Species
*Subgenus ''Galerga'' (Mabille, 1898)
**'' Arnetta ellipsis'' (Saalmüller, 1884)
**'' Arnetta fito'' (Evans, 1937)
**'' Arnetta hyposticta'' (Mabille, 1898)
*Subgenus ...
''
*''
Gamia
''Gamia'' is a genus of skippers in the family Hesperiidae.
Species
*'' Gamia abri'' Miller & Collins, 1997
*'' Gamia buchholzi'' (Plötz, 1879)
*'' Gamia shelleyi'' (Sharpe, 1890)
References
Seitz, A. ''Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde'' ...
''
*''
Gangara
''Gangara'' is an Indomalayan genus of grass skippers in the family Hesperiidae.
Species
*''Gangara lebadea'' (Hewitson, 1886) - banded redeye
*''Gangara thyrsis'' (Fabricius, 1775) - giant redeye
*''Gangara sanguinocculus'' (Martin, 1895)Bu ...
''
*''
Ge geta
''Ge'' is a genus of grass skipper butterflies in the family Hesperiidae described by Lionel de Nicéville in 1895. The genus is monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordin ...
''
*''
Gorgyra
In Greek mythology, Orphne (; grc, Ὀρφνή, Orphnḗ, from ), also known as Styx (; ) or Gorgyra (; , from ), was a nymph that lived in Hades. With Acheron, she mothered Ascalaphus.
Orphne also seems to be one translation of the name of th ...
''
*''
Gretna''
*''
Gyroga
''Gyrogra'' is a genus of skippers in the family Hesperiidae. It contains only one species, ''Gyrogra subnotata'', the odd leaf sitter, which is found in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of the ...
''
*''
Hidari''
*''
Hyarotis''
*''
Hypoleucis''
*''
Iambrix
''Iambrix'' is an Indomalayan genus of grass skippers in the family Hesperiidae
Skippers are a family of the Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) named the Hesperiidae. Being diurnal, they are generally called butterflies. They were previous ...
''
*''
Idmon
In Greek mythology, Idmon (Ancient Greek: Ἴδμων means "having knowledge of" or "the knowing") may refer to the following individuals:
*Idmon, one of the fifty sons of Aegyptus, who married and was killed by the Danaid Pylarge.
* Idmon, ...
''
*''
Ilma
''Ilma'' is a genus of skippers in the family Hesperiidae.
ReferencesNatural History Museum Lepidoptera genus database
Hesperiinae
Hesperiidae genera
{{Hesperiinae-stub ...
''
*''
Isma
''Isma'' is an Indomalayan genus of grass skippers in the family Hesperiidae.
Species
Listed alphabetically: ''
*''
Isoteinon lamprospilus''
*''
Kedestes''
*''
Koruthaialos
''Koruthaialos'' is an Indomalayan genus of grass skippers in the family Hesperiidae.
Species
*'' Koruthaialos butleri'' (de Nicéville, 1884) - Assam, Malaya, Vietnam, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Yunnan
*'' Koruthaialos focula'' (Plötz, 1882) - J ...
''
*''
Leona Leona is a female given name derived from the Latin word ''leo'' for "lion".
People and fictional characters named Leona include:
People
*Leona (wrestler) (born 1980), Japanese professional wrestler
*Leona Aglukkaq, Canadian politician
*Leona B ...
''
*''
Lepella
''Lepella'' is a genus of skipper (butterfly), skippers in the family Hesperiidae. It consists of only one species, ''Lepella lepeletier'', commonly known as Lepeletier's sylph, which is found in eastern Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Angola, the Demo ...
''
*''
Lotongus
''Lotongus'' is a genus of grass skippers
Grass skippers or banded skippers are butterflies of the subfamily Hesperiinae, part of the skipper family, Hesperiidae. The subfamily was established by Pierre André Latreille in 1809.
Description ...
''
*''
Lycas
''Lycas'' is a genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below f ...
''
*''
Malaza
''Malaza'' is a genus of skippers in the family Hesperiidae
Skippers are a family of the Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) named the Hesperiidae. Being diurnal, they are generally called butterflies. They were previously placed in a separa ...
''
*''
Matapa''
*''
Megathymus''
*''
Melphina
''Melphina'' is a genus of skipper (butterfly), skipper butterflies in the family Hesperiidae.
Species
*''Melphina evansi'' Berger, 1974
*''Melphina flavina'' Lindsey & Miller, 1965
*''Melphina hulstaerti'' Berger, 1974
*''Melphina malthina'' (H ...
''
*''
Miraja
''Perrotia'' is a genus of skipper (butterfly), skippers in the family Hesperiidae.
Species
*''Perrotia albiplaga'' Oberthür, 1916
*''Perrotia eximia'' (Oberthür, 1923)
*''Perrotia flora'' (Oberthür, 1923)
*''Perrotia gillias'' (Mabille, 1878 ...
''
*''
Moltena
''Moltena'' is a genus of skippers in the family Hesperiidae.
It is named after the town of Molteno, Eastern Cape.
Species
*'' Moltena fiara'' (Butler, 1870)
ReferencesNatural History Museum Lepidoptera genus database External links
Eri ...
''
*''
Monza
Monza (, ; lmo, label=Lombard language, Lombard, Monça, locally ; lat, Modoetia) is a city and ''comune'' on the River Lambro, a tributary of the Po River, Po in the Lombardy region of Italy, about north-northeast of Milan. It is the capit ...
''
*''
Mopala
''Mopala'' is a genus of skippers in the family Hesperiidae. It consists of only one species, ''Mopala orma'', the orma, which is found in Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the C ...
''
*''
Notocrypta
''Notocrypta'' is a genus of skipper butterflies. It is one of several closely related genera commonly called "demons". The genus is found in the Australasian and Indomalayan realms.
Notable species
* Restricted demon
''Notocrypta curvifasci ...
''
*''
Oerane
''Oerane'' is a genus of butterflies in the family Hesperiidae. Species of the genus are found in the Indomalayan realm. Seitz, A., 1912-1927. ''Die Indo-Australien Tagfalter Grossschmetterlinge Erde'' 9
Species
*''Oerane microthyrus'' Mabil ...
''
*''
Orses''
*''
Osmodes
''Osmodes'' is an Afrotropical genus of Grass skippers, grass skipper butterflies in the family Hesperiidae.
Species
*''Osmodes adon'' (Mabille, 1889)
*''Osmodes adonia'' Evans, 1937
*''Osmodes adonides'' Miller, 1971
*''Osmodes adosus'' (Mabill ...
''
*''
Osphantes''
*''
Paracleros''
*''
Parosmodes''
*''
Paronymus''
*''
Pemara
''Oerane'' is a genus of butterflies in the family Hesperiidae. Species of the genus are found in the Indomalayan realm.Adalbert Seitz, Seitz, A., 1912-1927. ''Die Indo-Australien Tagfalter Grossschmetterlinge Erde'' 9
Species
*''Oerane microthy ...
''
*''
Perichares''
*''
Perrotia''
*''
Pirdana
''Pirdana'' is a genus of grass skippers in the family Hesperiidae.
Species
*''Pirdana albicornis'' Elwes & Edwards, 1897 Borneo
*''Pirdana hyela'' (Hewitson, 1867) Burma, Malaya to Celebes and (''P. h. rudolphii'' Elwes & de Nicéville, 887/ ...
''
*''
Plastingia''
*''
Platylesches''
*''
Ploetzia''
*''
Prada
Prada S.p.A. (, ; ) is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1913 in Milan by Mario Prada. It specializes in leather handbags, travel accessories, shoes, ready-to-wear, and other fashion accessories. Prada licenses its name and branding t ...
''
*''
Praescobura chrysomaculata''
*''
Prosopalpus''
*''
Pseudokerana''
*''
Pseudopirdana''
*''
Pseudosarbia''
*''
Psolos
''Astictopterus'' is a genus of grass skippers in the family Hesperiidae. There are two species groups, one Afrotropical, the other Indomalayan.
Species
*'' Astictopterus anomoeus'' (Plötz, 1879) – yellow hopper
*'' Astictopterus bruno'' (Ev ...
''
*''
Pteroteinon
''Pteroteinon'' is an Afrotropical genus of Grass skippers, grass skipper butterflies in the family Hesperiidae.
Species
*''Pteroteinon caenira'' (Hewitson, 1867)
*''Pteroteinon capronnieri'' (Plötz, 1879)
*''Pteroteinon ceucaenira'' (Druce, 19 ...
''
*''
Pudicitia
Pudicitia ("modesty" or "sexual virtue") was a central concept in ancient Roman sexual ethics. The word is derived from the more general ''pudor'', the sense of shame that regulated an individual's behavior as socially acceptable. ''Pudicitia' ...
''
*''
Pyroneura
''Pyroneura'' is an Indomalayan genus of grass skipper butterflies in the family Hesperiidae.
Species
*'' Pyroneura toshikoae'' H. Hayashi, 1980
*''Pyroneura helena'' (Butler, 1870) Sumatra, Malaya, Borneo
*''Pyroneura natuna'' (Fruhstorfer, ...
''
*''
Pyrrhopygopsis''
*''
Quedara
''Quedara'' is a genus of grass skipper butterflies in the family Hesperiidae. The genus was erected by Charles Swinhoe in 1919.
Species
Listed alphabetically:Markku Savela's website on Lepidoptera
*'' Quedara albifascia'' (Moore, 1878) – My ...
''
*''
Rhabdomantis''
*''
Salanoemia''
*''
Scobura
''Scobura'' is an Indomalayan genus of grass skippers in the family Hesperiidae.
Species
*''Scobura cephala'' (Hewitson, 1876) Sikkim to Burma, Thailand
*''Scobura phiditia'' (Hewitson, 866 Assam to Burma, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysi ...
''
*''
Semalea
''Semalea'' is a genus of skipper butterflies in the family Hesperiidae.
Species
*'' Semalea arela'' (Mabille, 1891)
*'' Semalea atrio'' (Mabille, 1891)
*'' Semalea kola'' Evans, 1937
*'' Semalea pulvina'' (Plötz, 1879)
*'' Semalea sextilis'' ...
''
*''
Stallingsia
''Stallingsia'' is a genus of Butterfly, butterflies in the skipper family, Skipper (butterfly), Hesperiidae.
Selected species
*''Stallingsia jacki''
*''Stallingsia maculosus''
*''Stallingsia smithi''
ReferencesNatural History Museum Lepidopte ...
''
*''
Stimula
Semele (; Ancient Greek: Σεμέλη ), in Greek mythology, was the youngest daughter of Cadmus and Harmonia, and the mother of Dionysus by Zeus in one of his many origin myths.
Certain elements of the cult of Dionysus and Semele came from th ...
''
*''
Suada''
*''
Suastus
''Suastus'', whose members are called palm bobs, is a genus of grass skipper butterflies in the family Hesperiidae.
Species
*'' Suastus gremius'' (Fabricius, 1798) South India, Northwest Himalayas to Burma, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Hainan, Hong ...
''
*''
Teniorhinus''
*''
Tiacellia''
*''
Tsitana
''Tsitana'', commonly called sylphs, is a genus of skipper (butterfly), skippers in the family Hesperiidae are found primarily in Africa. These are small to medium-sized skippers that are primarily unmarked brown of the upperside wings. For other ...
''
*''
Turnerina
''Turnerina'' is a genus of skippers in the family Hesperiidae.
ReferencesNatural History Museum Lepidoptera genus database
Hesperiinae
Hesperiidae genera
{{Hesperiinae-stub ...
''
*''
Udaspes
''Ancistroides'' is a genus of skippers in the family Hesperiidae.
Species
*'' Ancistroides armatus'' (Druce, 1873)
*'' Ancistroides folus'' (Cramer, 775 - Sri Lanka, India (South India - Saurashtra, Bombay, Ahmedabad, Madhya Pradesh, Luckn ...
''
*''
Unkana
''Unkana'' is a genus of grass skippers, grass skipper in the family Hesperiidae. The genus is confined to the Indomalayan realm.
Species
*''Unkana ambasa'' (Moore, 858
__NOTOC__
Year 858 ( DCCCLVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Europe
* Summer – King Louis the German, summoned by the disaffected Frankish ...
**''U. a. ambasa'' Sumatra, Malaya, Philippines, Java
**''U. a. attina ...
''
*''
Xanthodisca''
*''
Xanthoneura''
*''
Zela''
*''
Zographetus''
*''
Zophopetes''
Conservation
The following grass skippers are considered at risk.
References
External links
Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and some other life forms Preliminary species list. Version of 6 April 2007. Retrieved 28 May 2007.
Cirrus Digital Imaging
TOLRMCAImages of
types
Type may refer to:
Science and technology Computing
* Typing, producing text via a keyboard, typewriter, etc.
* Data type, collection of values used for computations.
* File type
* TYPE (DOS command), a command to display contents of a file.
* Typ ...
.
Flickr
{{Taxonbar, from=Q281418
Hesperiinae