Skippers are a group of butterflies placed in the family Hesperiidae within the order Lepidoptera. 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.
The superfamily Papilionoidea contains all the butterflies except for the moth-like Hedyloidea.
Pyrgus is a genus in the skippers butterfly family, Hesperiidae, known as the grizzled skippers. The name "checkered" or "chequered skipper" may also be applied to some species, but also refers to species in the genera Burnsius and Carterocephalus. They occur in the Holarctic with an additional group of species extending to the Neotropic.
Choaspes benjaminii,also known as the Indian awlking or common awlking, is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. The species is named after Benjamin Delessert and was described on the basis of a specimen collected by Adolphe Delessert in the Nilgiris.
Iambrix salsala, the chestnut bob, is a butterfly belonging to the family Hesperiidae, that is found in parts of South Asia and Southeast Asia.
Coeliadinae is a subfamily of the skipper butterfly family (Hesperiidae). With about 150 described species, this is one of several smallish skipper butterfly subfamilies. It was first proposed by William Frederick Evans in 1937.
Bibasis vasutana, the green awlet, is a species of hesperid butterfly found in Asia. The butterfly was reassigned to genus Burara by Vane-Wright and de Jong (2003) and is considered by them to be Burara vasutana.
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 Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The habitat consists of forests.
Isoteinon is a genus of skipper butterflies in the family Hesperiidae.
Katreus is a genus of skippers in the family Hesperiidae.
Lepella is a genus of 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 Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Uganda, western Kenya, western Tanzania and north-western Zambia. The habitat consists of submontane grassland.
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 Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. The habitat consists of wet forests.
Piruna is a genus of skippers in the family Hesperiidae.
Ploetzia is a genus of butterflies in the family Hesperiidae. It consists of only one species, Ploetzia amygdalis, which is found in northern and north-eastern Madagascar. The habitat consists of forests and anthropogenic environments.
Procampta is a genus of butterflies in the family Hesperiidae. It consists of only one species, Procampta rara, the rare elf, which is found in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. The habitat consists of drier forests.
Trida sarahae, or Sarah's ranger, is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is only known from the Cederberg mountains in the Western Cape.
The Erionotini are a tribe of skipper butterflies in the subfamily Hesperiinae.
Ceratricula is a genus of butterflies in the family Hesperiidae. It is monotypic, being represented by the species Ceratricula semilutea, commonly known as the tufted forest sylph which is found in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, north-western Tanzania and north-western Zambia. The habitat consists of forests.
Caenides dacela, commonly known as the common recluse, is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found within the geographical range that stretches from the Basse Casamance in Senegal to Uganda and Kenya, but generally does not penetrate much south of the Equator. Amongst the genus Caenides, Caenides dacela is the most common and most widely distributed. The habitat consists of forests.
