Skippers are a family, Hesperiidae, of the Lepidoptera. Being diurnal, they are generally called butterflies. They were previously placed in a separate superfamily, Hesperioidea; however, the most recent taxonomy places the family in the superfamily Papilionoidea. They are named for their quick, darting flight habits. Most have the antenna tip modified into a narrow hook-like projection. More than 3500 species of skippers are recognized, and they occur worldwide, but with the greatest diversity in the Neotropical regions of Central and South America.
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.
Brigadier William Harry Evans CSI CIE DSO was a lepidopterist and British Army officer who served in India. He documented the butterfly fauna of India, Burma and Ceylon in a series of articles in the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. Brigadier Evans was especially interested in the taxonomy and systematics of the butterfly families Lycaenidae and Hesperiidae an example being his A revision of the Arhopala group of Oriental Lycaenidae Bull. British Mus. , Ent., vol. 5: pp. 85–141 (1957).
Erionota thrax, the palm redeye or the banana skipper, is a butterfly belonging to the family Hesperiidae. It is found from India, through south-eastern Asia to Papua New Guinea. In the north it is found up to southern China. It is an introduced species on various Pacific islands, including the Solomon Islands and Hawaii. It has also been recorded from Mauritius.
Gegenes nostrodamus, commonly known as the dingy swift, light pygmy skipper, Mediterranean skipper or veloz de las rieras, is a butterfly belonging to the family Hesperiidae. It is found from the Mediterranean Sea, through Anatolia to Turkestan and India.
Pelopidas agna, the obscure branded swift or dark branded swift, is a butterfly belonging to the family Hesperiidae found in India.
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.
Tagiades gana, the immaculate snow flat, large snow flat or suffused snow flat, is a butterfly belonging to the family Hesperiidae found in Indomalayan realm.
Cephrenes acalle, commonly known as the plain palm dart, is a butterfly belonging to the family Hesperiidae. An examination of the type specimen showed that it was identical to Cephrenes chrysozona lompa Evans 1934 based on genitialia. This has led to Cephrenes chrysozona being treated as a synonym. The species breeds on palms including coconut, Calamus, Elaeis, Roystonea and Prychosperma.
Gegenes pumilio, the pigmy skipper or dark Hottentot, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found from the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea through Anatolia to the Himalaya and south in the whole of Africa.
Acleros mackenii, the Macken's skipper or Macken's dart, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found from the East Cape to KwaZulu-Natal and in Zimbabwe.
Gegenes hottentota, the marsh Hottentot skipper, Hottentot skipper or Latreille's skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Africa and south-western Arabia. The habitat consists of marshy areas with thick grass, especially in valleys.
Hamilton Herbert Charles James Druce was an English entomologist who specialised in Lycaenidae and to a lesser extent Hesperiidae. He is not to be confused with his father, the English entomologist Herbert Druce (1846–1913) who also worked on Lepidoptera.
The Erionotini are a tribe in the Hesperiinae subfamily of skipper butterflies.
Acleros leucopyga is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in southern and south-western Madagascar. The habitat consists of forests.
Acleros neavei is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania.
Acleros nigrapex, the powdered dusky skipper, is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and north-western Tanzania. The habitat consists of forests.
Acleros ploetzi, the Ploetz's dart or Ploetz's dusky skipper, is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Senegal, the Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, western Kenya and along the coast, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique and eastern Zimbabwe. The habitat consists of forests, including secondary growth.
Acleros sparsum is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
