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, the butterflies. 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.
Thymelicus lineola, known in Europe as the Essex skipper and in North America as the European skipper, is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae.
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.
Lorquin's admiral is a butterfly in the Nymphalinae subfamily. The butterfly is named after Pierre Joseph Michel Lorquin, a French naturalist who came to California from France during the Gold Rush, and made important discoveries on the natural history of the terrain.
Polygonia oreas, the oreas comma, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in North America in the mountains from southern British Columbia and southwestern Alberta to northern California.
Autochton cellus, the golden banded-skipper, is a North and Central American butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. There are two populations, one in the eastern United States and the other in the southwestern United States and Mexico. The eastern population is rare and local and uses only one host plant, the thicket bean. The southwestern population is uncommon to common and uses more than one host plant. The golden banded-skipper is most active mid-morning and late afternoon. Their flight is sluggish and low to the ground, compared to closely related species.
Polites is a genus of North American butterflies of the family Hesperiidae (skippers), subfamily Hesperiinae.
Polites peckius, the Peck's skipper, is a North American butterfly in the family Hesperiidae (skippers), subfamily Hesperiinae. This skipper ranges across Canada from British Columbia, as far north as Cartwright, Labrador; Moar Lake, Ontario; Leaf Rapids, Manitoba; and the Hay River area in Alberta. In the US, it ranges in most of the northern and central states, except on the west coast.
Amblyscirtes vialis is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found from British Columbia east across southern Canada to Maine and Nova Scotia, south to central California, northern New Mexico, Texas, the Gulf states and northern Florida.
Callophrys sheridanii, the Sheridan's hairstreak and Sheridan's green hairstreak, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in North America along the south coast of British Columbia and parts of Nevada, Arizona, Saskatchewan, North Dakota, and New Mexico. In 2009, this species was adopted as the U.S. state butterfly for Wyoming.
Polites sabuleti, the sandhill skipper or saltgrass skipper, is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found from southern British Columbia and eastern Washington, south through California and northern Arizona to Baja California and east to south-eastern Wyoming, central Colorado, and north-eastern New Mexico. It is an introduced species in Hawaii.
Polites mardon, the Mardon skipper, is a butterfly native to the United States northwest coast.
Polites draco, the draco skipper, Rocky Mountain skipper or dragon skipper, is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found on the Rocky Mountain states and provinces from Arizona to the Yukon Territory.
Polites origenes, the crossline skipper, is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in the eastern United States, excepting Florida, southern Ontario, and Quebec.
Polites rhesus, the Rhesus skipper or plains gray skipper, is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in North America from Texas to North Dakota, as far north, but infrequently, as Saskatchewan and Alberta.
Polites vibex, or the whirlabout, is a grass skipper in the family Hesperiidae. The whirlabout gets its name from the landing and take off flight patterns of the adult – a circular or vortex or whirling motion. It is resident from the southeastern U.S. and West Indies to eastern Mexico through the tropics down to Argentina. During the warmer North American months, it can sometimes be found as far north as Ohio, Connecticut, and northeast Iowa.
Oarisma garita, the Garita skipperling, western skipperling or Garita skipper, is a North American butterfly in the family Hesperiidae (skippers), subfamily Hesperiinae . This skipper ranges southeastern Manitoba to British Columbia and south through the American Midwest as far south as Mexico. Its habitats include dry or moist praries, open woodlands, and limestone outcrops.
