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 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.
Taxonomy
The Subfamily Hesperiinae is a member of the Family Anthomyiidae. Here is the complete "parentage" of Hesperiinae:
- Domain: Eukaryota
Whittaker & Margulis,1978 - eukaryotes
- Kingdom: Animalia
Linnaeus, 1758 - Linnaeus, 1758 - animals
- Subkingdom: Bilateria
(Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983 - (Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983 - bilaterians
- Branch: Protostomia
Grobben, 1908 - Grobben, 1908 - protostomes
- Infrakingdom: Ecdysozoa
Aguinaldo et al., 1997 ex Cavalier-Smith, 1998 - Aguinaldo et al., 1997 ex Cavalier-Smith, 1998 - ecdysozoans
- Superphylum: Panarthropoda
Cuvier
- Phylum: Arthropoda
Latreille, 1829
- Subphylum: Mandibulata
snodgrass, 1938
- Infraphylum: Atelocerata
Heymons, 1901
- Superclass: Panhexapoda
- Class: Insecta
c. linnaeus, 1758
- Subclass: Dicondylia
- Infraclass: Pterygota
- Winged Insects
- Superorder: Panorpida
- Order: Diptera
(DIP-ter-uh)
c. linnaeus, 1758
- Suborder: Brachycera
(brak-EYE-sair-uh)
- Circular-seamed Flies, Muscoid Flies
- Infraorder: Muscomorpha
- Superfamily: Muscoidea
- Family: Anthomyiidae
- Anthomyiid Flies
- Subfamily: Hesperiinae - Grass Skippers
- Family: Anthomyiidae
- Anthomyiid Flies
- Superfamily: Muscoidea
- Infraorder: Muscomorpha
- Suborder: Brachycera
(brak-EYE-sair-uh)
- Circular-seamed Flies, Muscoid Flies
- Order: Diptera
(DIP-ter-uh)
c. linnaeus, 1758
- Superorder: Panorpida
- Infraclass: Pterygota
- Winged Insects
- Subclass: Dicondylia
- Class: Insecta
c. linnaeus, 1758
- Superclass: Panhexapoda
- Infraphylum: Atelocerata
Heymons, 1901
- Subphylum: Mandibulata
snodgrass, 1938
- Phylum: Arthropoda
Latreille, 1829
- Superphylum: Panarthropoda
Cuvier
- Infrakingdom: Ecdysozoa
Aguinaldo et al., 1997 ex Cavalier-Smith, 1998 - Aguinaldo et al., 1997 ex Cavalier-Smith, 1998 - ecdysozoans
- Branch: Protostomia
Grobben, 1908 - Grobben, 1908 - protostomes
- Subkingdom: Bilateria
(Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983 - (Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983 - bilaterians
- Kingdom: Animalia
Linnaeus, 1758 - Linnaeus, 1758 - animals
The Subfamily Hesperiinae is further organized into finer groupings including:
- Tribe (1): Cleomeae
- Genus (72): Adopaeoides · Amblyscirtes · Ampittia · Anatrytone · Ancyloxypha · Arrhenes · Asbolis · Atrytone · Atrytonopsis · Banta · Borbo · Calpodes · Caltoris · Carterocephalus · Cephrenes · Conga · Copaeodes · Corticea · Cymaenes · Decinea · Erionota · Erynnis · Euphyes · Gegenes · Hesperia · Hylephila · Iambrix · Kobrona · Leona · Lepella · Lerema · Metisella · Mimene · Monca · Nastra · Notocrypta · Nyctelius · Oarisma · Ochlodes · Ocybadistes · Oligoria · Osmodes · Panoquina · Paratrytone · Pardaleodes · Parnara · Pastria · Pelopidas · Perichares · Piruna · Pithauria · Plastingia · Poanes · Polites · Prada · Problema · Pseudocopaeodes · Rhinthon · Sabera · Sancus · Stinga · Suniana · Synapte · Taractrocera · Telicota · Thespieus · Thymelicus · Tiacellia · Vettius · Vidius · Wallengrenia · Xanthodisca
- Species: ZipcodeZoo has pages for 571 species and subspecies in the Subfamily Hesperiinae.
Genera
Adopaeoides
Amblyscirtes
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
Ancyloxypha
Arrhenes
Asbolis
Atrytone
Atrytonopsis
Banta
Borbo
Calpodes
Caltoris
Caltoris is a genus of skipper butterflies. Like several related genera, they are called "swifts". [more]
Carterocephalus
Carterocephalus is a genus in the Skippers butterfly family, Hesperiidae. [more]
Cephrenes
Conga
The conga is a tall, narrow, single-headed Cuban drum of African origin, probably derived from the Congolese Makuta drums or Sikulu drums commonly played in Mbanza Ngungu, Congo. A person who plays conga is called a "conguero". [more]
Copaeodes
Corticea
Cymaenes
Decinea
Erionota
Erynnis
Erynnis is a genus in the Skippers butterfly family, Hesperiidae, known as the Duskywings. [more]
Euphyes
Gegenes
Hesperia
Hylephila
Iambrix
Kobrona
Leona
Lepella
Lerema
Metisella
Mimene
Monca
Nastra
Notocrypta
Nyctelius
Oarisma
Ochlodes
Ocybadistes
Oligoria
Osmodes
Panoquina
Paratrytone
Pardaleodes
Parnara
Pastria
Pelopidas
Perichares
Piruna
Pithauria
Plastingia
Poanes
Polites
Prada
Problema
Pseudocopaeodes
Rhinthon
Sabera
Sancus
Stinga
Suniana
Synapte
Taractrocera
Telicota
Thespieus
Thymelicus
Tiacellia
Vettius
Vidius
Wallengrenia
Xanthodisca
At least 9 species and subspecies belong to the Genus Xanthodisca.
More info about the Genus Xanthodisca may be found here.
Sources
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