Grass-skippers
Guides
Hesperiinae
Grass Skippers, Banded Skippers, Folded-Wing Skippers
Hesperiinae is the largest subfamily of skippers (Hesperiidae), commonly known as grass skippers or folded-wing skippers. Adults typically rest with forewings held at a 45-degree angle and hindwings flat, creating a distinctive 'fighter-jet' posture. The subfamily exhibits broad dietary diversity: larvae feed on monocots including grasses and bamboos (Poaceae), palms (Arecaceae), gingers and relatives (Zingiberales), and Dracaena (Asparagaceae), as well as various dicotyledonous plants. Larval shelter-building is widespread, with most species constructing leaf rolls or folds for protection.
Polites
grass skippers
Polites is a genus of North American grass skipper butterflies in the family Hesperiidae. The genus was established by Scudder in 1872 and contains species primarily distributed across the United States. Members of this genus are small to medium-sized skippers with rapid, darting flight patterns typical of the subfamily Hesperiinae. Some species have become subjects of conservation concern due to population declines, with at least one species (Polites mardon) having been petitioned for federal endangered species protection.