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.
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.
Erionota thrax, the palm redeye or the banana skipper, is a species of 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.
Suastus gremius, the Indian palm bob or palm bob, is a butterfly belonging to the family Hesperiidae. It is found in the 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 genitalia. This has led to Cephrenes chrysozona being treated as a synonym. The species breeds on palms including coconut, Calamus, Elaeis, Roystonea and Prychosperma.
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.
Zophopetes is a genus of skippers in the family Hesperiidae.
Zophopetes dysmephila, the palm-tree nightfighter, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Mozambique, in South Africa from Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape to KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga, and in Kenya. Their habitat consists of moist savanna and forests.
The Erionotini are a tribe of skipper butterflies in the subfamily Hesperiinae.
Zophopetes cerymica, the common palm nightfighter, is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Angola, the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and north-western Zambia. It is found in various habitats, as long as palms are present.
Zophopetes quaternata, the western palm nightfighter, is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Senegal, the Gambia, Guinea, Ivory Coast and Ghana.
Zophopetes haifa, the scarce palm nightfighter, is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Ivory Coast and Cameroon.
Zophopetes nobilior, commonly known as the noble nightfighter, is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Gabon, the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya. In Kenya the introduced coconut has been recorded as food plant. Like other species in its genus, the imago has crepuscular habits. It is known to feed from flowers at dawn.
Gretna balenge, commonly known as the giant crepuscular skipper, is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia. The habitat consists of all areas where suitable palms grow.
Lennia maracanda, the scarce large recluse, is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Cameroon, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and north-western Zambia.
Erionota torus, also known as the rounded palm-redeye, Sikkim palm dart, Sikkim palm red-eye and banana skipper, is a species of butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It was described by William Harry Evans in 1941. It is found from southern and northeast India to Burma, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore and China. It has also been recorded from Taiwan.
Telicota bambusae, the dark palm dart, is a grass skipper butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in India, Sri Lanka and on Peninsular Malaysia.
