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Thymelicus acteon

(Lulworth Skipper)

Interesting Facts

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Common Names

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Click on the language to view common names.

Common Names in Dutch:

Dwergdikkopje

Common Names in English:

Lulworth Skipper

Description

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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]

Habitat

Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 1,207 meters (0 to 3,960 feet).[3]

Taxonomy

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Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Thymelicus

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 4 species and subspecies in this genus:

T. acteon (Lulworth Skipper) · T. lineola (European Skipper) · T. lineola lineola (European Skipper) · T. sylvestris (Small Skipper)

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal February 26, 2008:

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/taxonomy?f=19&sci=Hesperiidae&com=Skippers [back]
  2. http://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=Stinga&search=Search [back]
  3. Mean = 334.370 meters (1,097.014 feet), Standard Deviation = 309.460 based on 132 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]
Last Revised: 7/21/2012