Overview
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 forewin gs. 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.[1]
Taxonomy
The Subfamily Hesperiinae is a member of the Family Hesperiidae. Here is the complete "parentage" of Hesperiinae:
- Domain: Eukaryota
Whittaker & Margulis,1978 - eukaryotes
- Kingdom: Animalia
C. Linnaeus, 1758 - animals
- Subkingdom: Bilateria
(Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983 - bilaterians
- Branch: Protostomia
Grobben, 1908 - protostomes
- Infrakingdom: Ecdysozoa
A.M.A. Aguinaldo et al., 1997 ex T. Cavalier-Smith, 1998 - ecdysozoans
- Superphylum: Panarthropoda
Cuvier
- Phylum: Arthropoda
Latreille, 1829 - Arthropods
- Subphylum: Mandibulata
Snodgrass, 1938
- Infraphylum: Atelocerata
Heymons, 1901
- Superclass: Panhexapoda
- Class: Insecta
C. Linnaeus, 1758 - Insects
- Subclass: Dicondylia
- Infraclass: Pterygota
- Winged Insects
- Cohort: Myoglossata
- Order: Lepidoptera
Linnaeus, 1758 - Butterflies and Moths
- Infraorder: Heteroneura
- a genus of Longhorned Beetles (Cerambycidae)
- Family: Hesperiidae
Latreille, 1809 - Skippers
- Subfamily: Hesperiinae - Grass Skippers
- Family: Hesperiidae
Latreille, 1809 - Skippers
- Infraorder: Heteroneura
- a genus of Longhorned Beetles (Cerambycidae)
- Order: Lepidoptera
Linnaeus, 1758 - Butterflies and Moths
- Cohort: Myoglossata
- Infraclass: Pterygota
- Winged Insects
- Subclass: Dicondylia
- Class: Insecta
C. Linnaeus, 1758 - Insects
- Superclass: Panhexapoda
- Infraphylum: Atelocerata
Heymons, 1901
- Subphylum: Mandibulata
Snodgrass, 1938
- Phylum: Arthropoda
Latreille, 1829 - Arthropods
- Superphylum: Panarthropoda
Cuvier
- Infrakingdom: Ecdysozoa
A.M.A. Aguinaldo et al., 1997 ex T. Cavalier-Smith, 1998 - ecdysozoans
- Branch: Protostomia
Grobben, 1908 - protostomes
- Subkingdom: Bilateria
(Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983 - bilaterians
- Kingdom: Animalia
C. Linnaeus, 1758 - animals
The Subfamily Hesperiinae is further organized into finer groupings including:
- Genus (100): Acleros · Adopaeoides · Alera · Amblyscirtes · Ampittia · Anatrytone · Ancistroides · Ancyloxypha · Arrhenes · Artitropa · Asbolis · Atalopedes · Atrytone · Attalus · Banta · Borbo · Callimormus · Caltoris · Carterocephalus · Cephrenes · Ceratrichia · Conga · Copaeodes · Coras · Corticea · Cymaenes · Decinea · Dion · Elissa · Erionota · Euphyes · Gegenes · Grais · Hesperia · Hylephila · Iambrix · Joanna · Juba · Kobrona · Koruthialos · Leona · Lepella · Lerema · Lerodea · Mellana · Metisella · Mimene · Mnasicles · Monca · Nastra · Niconiades · Notocrypta · Nyctelius · Oarisma · Ochlodes · Ocybadistes · Oligoria · Origenes · Orthos · Osmodes · Otho · Panoquina · Paratrytone · Pardaleodes · Parnara · Parphorus · Pastria · Pelopidas · Perichares · Phanes · Piruna · Pithauria · Plastingia · Poanes · Polites · Pompeius · Potanthus · Prada · Problema · Pseudocopaeodes · Quasimellana · Rhesus · Rhinthon · Sabera · Sancus · Stinga · Suniana · Synapte · Taractrocera · Telicota · Thespieus · Thymelicus · Tiacellia · Vehilius · Vettius · Vidius · Vinius · Virga · Wallengrenia · Xanthodisca
- Species: ZipcodeZoo has pages for 2,123 species and subspecies in the Subfamily Hesperiinae.
Genera
Acleros
Acleros is a genus of skippers. [more]
Adopaeoides
Adopaeoides is a genus of skippers in the family Hesperiidae. [more]
Alera
Alera is a genus of skippers in the family Hesperiidae. [more]
Amblyscirtes
Amblyscirtes is a genus of butterfly called skippers in the family Hesperiidae. [more]
Ampittia
Ampittia is the genus of bush hoppers in the skipper butterfly family, Hesperiidae. It is presently the only member of the tribe Ampittiini, but many skipper butterflies are yet to be assigned to tribes, so this might change eventually. [more]
Anatrytone
Anatrytone is a genus of skippers in the family Hesperiidae widespread New World. [more]
Ancistroides
Ancistroides is a genus of skippers in the family Hesperiidae. [more]
Ancyloxypha
Ancyloxypha is a genus of butterflies in the subfamily Hesperiinae. [more]
Arrhenes
Arrhenes is a genus of skippers in the family Hesperiidae. [more]
Artitropa
Artitropa is a genus of skippers in the family Hesperiidae. [more]
Asbolis
Asbolis is a genus of skippers in the family Hesperiidae. [more]
Atalopedes
Atalopedes is a genus of skippers in the family Hesperiidae. [more]
Atrytone
Atrytone is a genus of skippers in the family Hesperiidae. [more]
Attalus
Attalus can refer to [more]
Banta
Banta (marble) is a lemon or orange-flavoured drink popular in India. [more]
Borbo
Callimormus
Caltoris
Caltoris is a genus of . Like several related genera, they are called "swifts". [more]
Carterocephalus
Carterocephalus is a in the skipper butterfly family, Hesperiidae. [more]
Cephrenes
Ceratrichia
Conga
A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia. [more]
Copaeodes
Coras
Corticea
Cymaenes
Decinea
Dion
Dion or Dio may refer to: [more]
Elissa
Erionota
Euphyes
Gegenes
Grais
Hesperia
Hylephila
Iambrix
Joanna
Joanna is a feminine given name deriving from Greek Ioanna. Variants in English include Joan, Joann, Joanne, and Johanna. Other forms of the name in English are Jan, Jane, Janet, Janice, Jean, and Jeanne. [more]
Juba
Kobrona
Koruthialos
Leona
Lepella
Lerema
Lerodea
Mellana
Metisella
Mimene
Mnasicles
Monca
Nastra
Niconiades
Notocrypta
Notocrypta is a of skipper butterflies. It is one of several closely related genera commonly called "demons". [more]
Nyctelius
Oarisma
Ochlodes
Ochlodes is a in the skipper butterfly family, Hesperiidae. [more]
Ocybadistes
Oligoria
Origenes
Orthos
Orthos can refer to: [more]
Osmodes
Otho
Panoquina
The Wandering Skipper (Panoquina errans) is a species of in the Hesperiidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Panoquina. It is found in Mexico and the United States. [more]
Paratrytone
Pardaleodes
Parnara
Parphorus
Pastria
Pelopidas
A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia. [more]
Perichares
Phanes
Piruna
Pithauria
Plastingia
Poanes
Poanes is a genus of (family Hesperiidae) distributed throughout North and Central America. The larvae feed on grasses and sedges. [more]
Polites
A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia.[2] [more]
Pompeius
Pompeius (fem. Pompeia), known in as Pompey, is the nomen of the gens Pompeia, an important family during the late republic period of ancient Rome from the Italian region of Picenum, which lies between the Apennines and the Adriatic. The name may refer to any person bearing it, with a list of the most famous below: [more]
Potanthus
Potanthus is a genus of . They are commonly known as Darts. [more]
Prada
A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia. [more]
Problema
Pseudocopaeodes
Quasimellana
Rhesus
A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia.[3] [more]
Rhinthon
A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia. [more]
Sabera
Sancus
A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia. [more]
Stinga
Suniana
Synapte
Taractrocera
Telicota
Thespieus
Thymelicus
Thymelicus is a in the skipper butterfly family, Hesperiidae. It is presently the only member of the tribe Thymelini, but many skipper butterflies are yet to be assigned to tribes, so this might change eventually. [more]
Tiacellia
Vehilius
Vettius
Vidius
Vinius
Virga
A Genus in the Kingdom Plantae. [more]
Wallengrenia
Xanthodisca
At least 9 species and subspecies belong to the Genus Xanthodisca.
More info about the Genus Xanthodisca may be found here.
Bibliography
- Cope, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 21: 15
Footnotes
- http://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=Stinga&search=Search
- http://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=Polites&search=Search
- http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=113415
Sources
- The text on this page is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
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- The technology underlying this page, including the controls behind Keep Exploring, is owned by the BayScience Foundation. All rights are reserved.