FAMILY HESPERIIDAE

A skipper is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae (superfamily Hesperioidea), named after their quick,
darting flight habits. There are more than 3500 recognized species of skippers and they occur worldwide,
but with the greatest diversity occurring in the tropical regions of Central and South America.

Skippers differ in several important ways from the remaining butterflies. Skippers have the antennae clubs hooked backward
like a crochet hook, whilst butterflies have club-like tips to their antennae. Skippers also have generally stockier bodies,
with stronger wing muscles. Hesperioidea is very likely the sister group of Papilionoidea.

Many species of skippers look frustratingly alike. For example, some species in the genera Erynnis,
Hesperia, and Amblyscirtes cannot currently be distinguished in the field by experts, the only reliable method
of telling them apart involving dissection and examination of the genitalia.

The text above is from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia and is licensed under the GFDL.

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