Skippers are a group of butterflies placed in thefamilyHesperiidae within the orderLepidoptera (moths and butterflies). They were previously placed in a separate superfamily,Hesperioidea, but have since been placed in the superfamilyPapilionoidea (the butterflies).[1] They are named for their quick, darting flight habits. Most have their antenna tips modified into narrow, hook-like projections. Moreover, skippers mostly lackwing-coupling structure available in most moths.[2] More than 3500 species of skippers are recognized, and they occur worldwide, but with the greatest diversity in theNeotropical regions ofCentral and South America.[3]
Traditionally, the Hesperiidae were placed in amonotypicsuperfamily Hesperioidea, because they are morphologically distinct from otherRhopalocera (butterflies), which mostly belong to the typical butterfly superfamilyPapilionoidea. The third and rather small butterfly superfamily is themoth-butterflies (Hedyloidea), which are restricted to the Neotropics, but recentphylogenetic analyses suggest the traditional Papilionoidea areparaphyletic, thus the subfamilies should be reorganized to reflect truecladistic relationships.[4][5]
Collectively, these three groups of butterflies share many characteristics, especially in theegg,larval, andpupal stages.[3] Nevertheless, skippers have theantennae clubs hooked backward like acrochet hook, while the typical butterflies have club-like tips to their antennae, and moth-butterflies have feathered or pectinate (comb-shaped) antennae similar tomoths. Skippers also have generally stockier bodies and largercompound eyes than the other two groups, with stronger wing muscles in the plumpthorax, in this resembling many moths more than the other two butterfly lineages do. Unlike, for example, theArctiinae, though, their wings are usually small in proportion to their bodies. Some have larger wings, but only rarely as large in proportion to the body as in other butterflies. Skippers keep their wings usually angled upwards or spread out when at rest, and rarely fold them up completely.[3]
The wings are usually well-rounded with more or less sharply tipped forewings. Some have prominent hindwing tails, and others have more angled wings; the skippers' basic wing shapes vary not much by comparison to the Papilionoidea, though. Most have a fairly drab coloration of browns and greys; some are more boldly black-and-white. Yellow, red, and blue hues are less often found, but some largely brown species are quite richly colored, too. Green colors and metalliciridescence are generally absent.Sexual dichromatism is present in some; males may have a blackish streak or patch ofscent scales on their forewings.[3]
Many species of skippers look very alike. For example, some species in the generaAmblyscirtes,Erynnis (duskywings), andHesperia (branded skippers) cannot currently be distinguished in the field even by experts. The only reliable method of telling them apart involves dissection andmicroscopic examination of thegenitalia, which have characteristic structures thatprevent mating except betweenconspecifics.[3]
Ackery, P. R.; de Jong, R. & Vane-Wright, R. I. (1999). "The Butterflies: Hedyloidea, Hesperioidea and Papilionoidae". In: Kristensen, N. P. (ed.):Handbook of Zoology: A Natural History of the Phyla of the Animal Kingdom. Volume IV Arthropoda: Insecta, Part 35: Lepidoptera, Moths and Butterflies Vol.1: Evolution, Systematics, and Biogeography: 263–300. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, New York.
Evans, W. H. (1951). "A Catalogue of the Hesperiidae indicating the classification and nomenclature adopted in the British Museum (Natural History). Part I.Pyrrhophyginae". London, British Museum. 92 pp. + p15. 1–9.
Evans, W. H. (1952). "A Catalogue of theHesperiidae indicating the classification and nomenclature adopted in the British Museum (Natural History). Part II.Pyrginae. Section I". London, British Museum. 178 pp. + pls. 10–25.
Evans, W. H. (1953). "A Catalogue of theHesperiidae indicating the classification and nomenclature adopted in the British Museum (Natural History). Part III.Pyrginae. Section II". London, British Museum. 246 pp. + pls. 26–53.
Evans, W. H. (1955). "A Catalogue of theHesperiidae indicating the classification and nomenclature adopted in the British Museum (Natural History). Part IV.Hesperiinae andMegathyminae". London, British Museum. 499 pp. + pls. 54–88.
Heikkilä, M.; Kaila, L.; Mutanen, M.; Peña, C. & Wahlberg, N. (2012). "Cretaceous origin and repeated tertiary diversification of the redefined butterflies".Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 279(1731), 1093–1099.
Kawahara, A. Y., & Breinholt, J. W. (2014). "Phylogenomics provides strong evidence for relationships of butterflies and moths".Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 281 (1788), 20140970.doi:10.1098/rspb.2014.0970
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