Skippers are a family of the Lepidoptera named the Hesperiidae. 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 their antenna tips modified into narrow, hook-like projections. Moreover, skippers mostly have an absence of wing-coupling structure available in most moths. 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.
The superfamily Papilionoidea contains all the butterflies except for the moth-like Hedyloidea.
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.
Pyrginae, commonly known as spread-winged skippers, are a subfamily of the skipper butterfly family (Hesperiidae). The subfamily was established by Hermann Burmeister in 1878. Their delimitation and internal systematics has changed considerably in recent years, but as of 2009 the uncertainties surrounding the evolutionary relationships of many genera in this subfamily are widely resolved.
Ampittia is the genus of bush hoppers in the skipper butterfly family, Hesperiidae. It is the only member of the tribe Ampittiini, but many skipper butterflies are yet to be assigned to tribes, so this might change eventually.
The Eudaminae are a subfamily of skipper butterflies. Their original type genus Eudamus is today a junior synonym of Urbanus. They are largely found in the Neotropics, with some extending into temperate North America and the puzzling Lobocla occurring in East Asia.
Trapezitinae is a subfamily of the Hesperiidae ("skippers") family of butterflies. They are found only in New Guinea and Australia. The subfamily contains about 60 species in 16 genera.
The giant skippers are butterflies in the disputed subfamily Megathyminae, which is part of the skipper family. Some authorities treat this as a distinct and separate subfamily, but more modern classifications tend to place them within the subfamily Hesperiinae. However, some works, such as the Integrated Taxonomic Information System, still treat is as a valid subfamily. The giant skippers include two tribes, Aegialini and Megathymini. There are three genera and about eighteen species in this subfamily. These butterflies typically live in the southwest United States and Mexico in desert areas.
Dalla is a genus of skippers in the family Hesperiidae.
Pamphilites is an extinct genus of skippers in the family Hesperiidae. It contains only one fossil species, Pamphilites abdita, recovered from the Tertiary of Aix-en-Provence, France.
Piruna is a genus of skippers in the family Hesperiidae.
The Erionotini are a tribe in the Hesperiinae subfamily of skipper butterflies.
Semalea arela, the Arela dart, Arela skipper or brown silky skipper, is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, northern Zambia, Mozambique and eastern Zimbabwe. The habitat consists of forests.
Semalea sextilis, the dark skipper or silky skipper, is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, western Kenya, western Tanzania and Zambia. The habitat consists of forests.
Caenides dacela, the common recluse, is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. All members of Caenides are within the geographical range that stretches stretches from the Basse Casamance in Senegal to Uganda and Kenya, but generally does not penetrate much south of the Equator. It is found in Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Bioko, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, western Kenya, western Tanzania and northern Zambia. Amongst the genus Caenides, Caenides dacela is the most common and most widely distributed. The habitat consists of forests.
Baorini is a tribe in the Hesperiinae subfamily of skipper butterflies.
Thymelicus hyrax, the Levantine skipper, is a butterfly in family Hesperiidae. The species is distributed in Iran, Syria, Israel, Jordan, Armenia, Azerbaijan (Nakhichevan), Northwest Caucasus (Russia), Turkey, Greece, Lesbos, Chios, Samos, Rhodes
Burnsius is a genus of New World checkered-skippers in the butterfly family Hesperiidae. The genus was erected by Nick V. Grishin in 2019. There are about 12 described species in Burnsius.
Chirgus is a genus of checkered-skippers, white-skippers, and allies in the butterfly family Hesperiidae, found in the New World. The genus was erected by Nick V. Grishin in 2019. There are about six described species in Chirgus.
