Grass skippers or banded skippers[5] are butterflies of the subfamily Hesperiinae, part of the skipper family, Hesperiidae. The subfamily was established by Pierre André Latreille in 1809.[3]
| Grass skippers | |
|---|---|
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_female_underside.jpg)
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| both Hesperia comma Oxfordshire | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Hesperiidae |
| Subfamily: | Hesperiinae Latreille, 1809 |
| Tribes[3][4] | |
Description and distribution edit
With over 2,000 described species, this is the largest skipper butterfly subfamily and occurs worldwide except in New Zealand.[6] About 50 percent of grass skippers live in the Neotropics.[7] 137 species are native to North America. Around 38 species are native to Australia.[8] Genera Ochlodes and Hesperia exist exclusively in the Holarctic.[9]
They are usually orange, rust, or brown in colour and have pointed forewings.[5] Many species have dark markings or black stigmas on their forewings.[5] Most members of this subfamily have an oval antenna club with an apiculus on the tip, although Carterocephalus and Piruna do not.[10] The antennae generally has a sharp bend.
Hesperiinae larvae feed on many different types of grasses and sedges and palms, though some species are limited.[10][11]
Adults typically visit flowers and hold their wings together while feeding.[5] Hesperiinae are unique in that they hold their wings partially open while resting, with the forewings and hindwings held at different angles. This is known as the "jet-plane position".[12] Most male grass skippers perch to await females.[10]
Adults are strong fliers; they move quickly and usually in a linear direction. Some of the species, however, do flutter and these species patrol for females rather than perch.[10]
Conservation edit
The following grass skippers are considered at risk.[13]
| Species | Status | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Silver spotted skipper | Rare, Protected (UK) | Europe |
| Lulworth skipper | Protected (UK) | Europe |
| Orange grass-dart skipper | Rare | Australia |
| White-banded grass-dart skipper | Rare | Australia |
| Arogos skipper | Endangered (USA states IL, NJ, NY), Threatened (USA state MN), Species of Concern (USA state IA) | North America |
| Loammi skipper[14][15] | G2 Imperiled (Global), S2 Imperiled, Species of Greatest Conservation Need (USA state FL) | North America |
| Byssus skipper | Endangered (USA Federal listing) | North America |
| Carson wandering skipper | Endangered (USA Federal listing) | North America |
| Dukes' skipper | Threatened (US state (MI) | North America |
| Dakota skipper | Threatened (Canada), Endangered (Canada province MB), Federal Candidate (USA), Vulnerable (ICUN) | North America |
| Mardon skipper | Endangered (USA state WA & Federal Candidate USA) | North America |
| Otto skipper | Endangered (Canada), Threatened (Canada province MB), Threatened (USA states (IL, MI, MN) | North America |
| Pawnee montane skipper | Threatened (USA Federal listing) | North America |
| Poweshiek skipperling | Threatened (Canada), Endangered (USA state WI), Threatened (USA state IA, MI), Species of Concern (USA state MN) | North America |
| Rare skipper | Endangered (US state DE) | North America |
| Wandering skipper | Threatened (Mexico, USA) | North America |
References edit
- ^ a b c Zhang, Jing; Cong, Qian; Shen, Jinhui; Grishin, Nick (2022-03-14). "Taxonomic changes suggested by the genomic analysis of Hesperiidae (Lepidoptera)". Insecta Mundi. 2022 (921). PMC 8975183. PMID 35370352.
- ^ Li, Wenlin; Cong, Qian; Shen, Jinhui; Zhang, Jing; Hallwachs, Winnie; Janzen, Daniel H.; Grishin, Nick V. (26 March 2019). "Genomes of skipper butterflies reveal extensive convergence of wing patterns". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 116 (13). Supporting Information: Appendix pp.10–24. Bibcode:2019PNAS..116.6232L. doi:10.1073/pnas.1821304116. PMC 6442542. PMID 30877254.
- ^ a b Brower, Andrew V.Z.; Warren, Andrew. "Hesperiinae Latreille 1809". The Tree of Life Web Project. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
- ^ Cong, Qian; Zhang, Jing; Shen, Jinhui; Grishin, Nick (2019). "Fifty new genera of Hesperiidae (Lepidoptera)". Insecta Mundi. 0731: 1–56.
- ^ a b c d Daniels, Jaret C. (2003). Butterflies of the Carolinas. Cambridge, MN: Adventure Publications, Inc. p. 9. ISBN 1-59193-007-3.
- ^ Boggs, Carol L.; Watt, Ward B.; Ehrlich, Paul R., eds. (2003). Butterflies Ecology and Evolution Taking Flight. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press. p. 480. ISBN 0-226-06317-8.
- ^ Kükenthal, Willy (1999). Schmidt-Rhaesa, Andreas; Kristensen, Niels P. (eds.). VOLUME 1: EVOLUTION, SYSTEMATICS, AND BIOGEOGRAPHY. Berlin and New York: Walter de Gruyter. p. 274. ISBN 9-783-11015-704-8.
- ^ Kitching, R.L.; Scheermeyer, E.; Jones, R.E.; Pierce, N.E., eds. (1999). Biology of Australian Butterflies. Collingwood, Victoria, Australia: CSIRO Publishing. p. 71. ISBN 0-6430-5027-2.
- ^ Kristensen, Niels P. (1999). Lepidoptera, moths, and butterflies. Vol. 4. Berlin: De Gruyter. p. 274. ISBN 9783110157048.
- ^ a b c d Scott, James A. (1986). The Butterflies of North America A Natural History and Field Guide. Stanford University Press. p. 424-425. ISBN 0-8047-2013-4.
- ^ Minno, Marc C. (1994). Immature stages of the skipper butterflies (Lepidoptera: hesperiidae) of the United States : biology, morphology, and descriptions (PhD). University of Florida. p. 18. Retrieved 2018-09-11.
- ^ Brock, Jim P.; Kaufman, Kenn (2003). Kaufman Focus Guides Butterflies of North America. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. p. 302. ISBN 0618254005.
- ^ Beyer, Loni Jean (2009). Oviposition Selection by a Rare Grass Skipper, Polites mardon, in Montane Habitats: Advancing Ecological Understanding for Developing Conservation Strategies (PDF) (PhD). Washington State University Vancouver. pp. 40–41. Retrieved 2018-09-16.
- ^ "NatureServe Explorer 2.0".
- ^ "Publish Online".
External links edit
- Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and some other life forms: Preliminary species list. Version of 6 April 2007. Retrieved 28 May 2007.
- Reference photographs: Skippers of North America Cirrus Digital Imaging
- TOL
- RMCA Images of types.
- Flickr