Lerema accius
(Smith, 1797)
Clouded Skipper
Lerema accius (Clouded Skipper) is a grass in the Hesperiidae, Hesperiinae. The ranges from the southeastern United States through Mexico and Central America to northern South America. It has been extensively documented on iNaturalist with over 30,000 observations. The complete mitochondrial has been sequenced, confirming its placement among grass skippers.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Lerema accius: //ləˈɹɛmə ˈæk.i.us//
These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.
Images
Habitat
Has been collected from urban park settings near water bodies, specifically documented from White Rock Lake in Dallas, Texas. As a grass skipper, likely associated with open grassy areas and edges, though specific preferences require further documentation.
Distribution
United States: Georgia west to Texas, south to Florida. Mexico, Central America, and South America to Venezuela and Colombia. Documented presence in Middle America, North America, and South America per GBIF records.
Human Relevance
Serves as a model organism for Lepidoptera genetics and evolutionary studies. The complete mitochondrial sequence has contributed to phylogenetic research on grass skippers (Hesperiinae).
More Details
Mitochondrial Genome
The complete mitochondrial is 15,338 , AT-rich, and contains 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNAs, 2 rRNAs, and a control region with gene order typical for Lepidoptera.
Phylogenetic Placement
Mitochondrial protein-based phylogenetic analysis places L. accius as sister to the clade containing Potanthus (Taractrocerini) and Polytremis (Baorini), confirming its position among grass skippers.