Description
Family Hesperiidae
'The Hesperiidae are members
of the Superfamily
Hesperioidea. Worldwide in distribution, skippers are richest in the tropics. More than 3,500 species are described, with approximately 275 in North America, many of which are found only in Arizona and Texas. Most skippers are small to medium, usually orange, brown, black, white, or gray. A few have iridescent
colors. Skippers have large eyes, short antennae (often with hooked
clubs), stout bodies, and three pairs of walking legs
. Their flight is often rapid, making wing movement appear blurred. Adults
of most species have long probicscises and feed
on floral
nectar, but some also take up nutrients
from bird droppings. Males have scent scales
found in modified forewing
patches. Males of most species locate mates by perching
(grass
and giant-skippers), though some patrol, especially in the open-winged skippers. Globular eggs
are laid singly.
'[1]
Subfamily Hesperiinae
The grass skippers are members of the Family Hesperiidae. Distributed worldwide, they comprise more than 2,000 species, most of which are found in the American tropics. The small to medium-sized adults usually have abruptly angled antennae with an apiculus at the tip . Adults of many temperate species are predominantly orange, while brown is the most common color of the tropical species. Male forewings usually have a brand or stigma with specialized scales . Most species have long proboscises and are avid flower-visitors. Adults flight is rapid, and perching posture is unique: the hindwings are opened at a wider angle than the forewings. Males of most species perch while looking for mates. Caterpillars feed on monocotyledons (grasses and allied plants ) and live in silken leaf nests that sometimes extend underground. Grass skippers typically overwinter as caterpillars within their shelters .[2]
Taxonomy
- Domain:
Eukaryota
(
)
- Whittaker & Margulis,1978
- eukaryotes
- Kingdom:
Animalia
()
- Linnaeus, 1758
- animals
- Subkingdom:
Bilateria
()
- (Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983
- Branch:
Protostomia
()
- Grobben, 1908
- Infrakingdom:
Ecdysozoa
()
- Aguinaldo Et Al., 1997 Ex Cavalier-Smith, 1998
- Superphylum:
Panarthropoda
()
- Cuvier
- Phylum:
Arthropoda
()
- Latreille, 1829
- Arthropods
- Subphylum:
Mandibulata
()
- Snodgrass, 1938
- Infraphylum:
Atelocerata
()
- Heymons, 1901
- Superclass:
Panhexapoda
()
- Epiclass:
Hexapoda
()
- Class:
Insecta
()
- C. Linnaeus, 1758
- Insects
- Subclass:
Dicondylia
()
- Infraclass:
Pterygota
()
- Cohort:
Myoglossata
()
- Order:
Lepidoptera
()
- Linnaeus, 1758
- Butterflies and Moths
- Infraorder:
Heteroneura
()
- Family:
Hesperiidae
()
- Latreille, 1809
- Skippers
- Subfamily:
Hesperiinae
()
- Grass Skippers
- Genus:
Panoquina
()
- Specific name:
chapada
- Evans 1955
- Scientific name: - Panoquina chapada Evans 1955
- Specific name:
chapada
- Evans 1955
- Genus:
Panoquina
(
- Subfamily:
Hesperiinae
(
- Family:
Hesperiidae
(
- Infraorder:
Heteroneura
(
- Order:
Lepidoptera
(
- Cohort:
Myoglossata
(
- Infraclass:
Pterygota
(
- Subclass:
Dicondylia
(
- Class:
Insecta
(
- Epiclass:
Hexapoda
(
- Superclass:
Panhexapoda
(
- Infraphylum:
Atelocerata
(
- Subphylum:
Mandibulata
(
- Phylum:
Arthropoda
(
- Superphylum:
Panarthropoda
(
- Infrakingdom:
Ecdysozoa
(
- Branch:
Protostomia
(
- Subkingdom:
Bilateria
(
- Kingdom:
Animalia
(
Notes
Name Status: Provisionally Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: Beccaloni G.
Similar Species
Members of the genus Panoquina
ZipcodeZoo has pages for 46 species and subspecies in this genus:
P. arrans · P. belli · P. bola · P. californica · P. calna · P. chapada · P. chlorus · P. cineas · P. cochles · P. confusa · P. corrupta · P. errans (Wandering Skipper) · P. eugeon · P. evadnes · P. evansi (Evans' Skipper) · P. fonda · P. fufidia · P. fusina (Evans' Skipper) · P. fusina fusina · P. grapte · P. hecebola (Hecebolus Skipper) · P. hecebolus (Hecebolus Skipper) · P. heterospila · P. jumbo · P. leucas (Purple-Washed Skipper) · P. lucas (Purple-Washed Skipper) · P. luctuosa · P. nero · P. ocola (Ocola Skipper) · P. ophis · P. ortygia · P. panoquin (Salt Marsh Skipper) · P. panoquinoides (Obscure Skipper) · P. panoquinoides panoquinoides (Obscure Skipper) · P. parilis · P. pauper · P. pauper grapte · P. peraea · P. sonta · P. stratyllis · P. sylvicola (Purple-Washed Skipper) · P. trix · P. vimico · P. viola · P. wimico · P. woodruffi
More Info
- Search for Pictures: images.google.com
- Search for Scholarly Articles: Google Scholar
- Search using Scientific Name and Vernacular Names: All the Web | AltaVista Canada | AltaVista | Excite | Google | HotBot | Lycos
- Search using Specialized Databases: GenBank | Medline | Scirus | CISTI/CAL | Agricola Periodicals | Agricola Books
Notes
Contributors
- Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed February 26, 2008. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from provider.
- LepIndex: The Global Lepidoptera Names Index
- The Global Lepidoptera Names Index2, 12.2, 2005.
Data Sources
Accessed through GBIF Data Portal February 26, 2008:
- University of Helsinki, Department of Applied Biology: Rancho Grande
Identifiers
- Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 7721349
- Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: Lep-186119.0
- Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 1591944
