Conservation-priority-species

Guides

• Hesperiidae

  Skippers

  Hesperiidae, commonly known as skippers, is a large family of diurnal butterflies in the order Lepidoptera. The family contains over 3,500 recognized species distributed worldwide, with greatest diversity in tropical regions. Skippers are named for their rapid, darting flight patterns. A distinctive morphological feature is the antenna tip, which is modified into a narrow hook-like projection rather than the rounded club found in most other butterfly families. The family was formerly placed in its own superfamily Hesperioidea but is now classified within Papilionoidea based on recent molecular studies.

  butterfliesLepidopteradiurnalpollinatorsgrassland-insectsherbivoresagricultural-pests-(minor)conservation-priority-speciesmolecular-phylogeneticshost-plant-specialists