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Taxa

Hesperiidae

Insect Families

Hesperiidae is a family of butterflies commonly called skippers, comprising roughly 3,500 species worldwide with the greatest diversity in the tropics of Central and South America. Skippers were formerly placed in their own superfamily, Hesperioidea, but are now classified within the superfamily Papilionoidea alongside the other butterflies. They are named for their quick, darting flight, and are distinguished from most other butterflies by antennae tipped with a narrow, hook-like projection, stockier bodies, larger compound eyes and stronger wing musculature; most also lack the wing-coupling structure common in moths. Skippers are typically colored in browns and greys, sometimes with bold black-and-white patterning, and generally lack the metallic or green coloring seen in some other butterfly families.

Facts
Taxonomic Rank
Family 2
Member Count Band
Over 1000 Species 3
Era First Appeared
Paleogene 4
Classification
Living or Extinct
Yes 1
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Source Skipper (butterfly) (Wikipedia)Distribution: South America
Quote, Distribution: South America
More than 3500 species of skippers are recognized, and they occur worldwide, but with the greatest diversity in the Neotropical regions of Central and South America.
Sources
1. Wikidata (taxon extant/extinct status)
Wikimedia Foundation / Wikidata contributorsQ232936, descriptionView the Source
2. Hesperiidae (Wikipedia)
  • Introduction
    Skippers are a group of butterflies placed in the family Hesperiidae within the order Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies).
  • Taxonomic rank (structure-wave classification, ruling 761/926)
View the Source
3. Catalogue of Life (ChecklistBank): Taxon metrics for Hesperiidae
Catalogue of Life (ChecklistBank)Taxon metrics, speciesExtantCount
Quote, Taxon metrics, speciesExtantCount
"speciesExtantCount": 3465
View the Source
4. Paleobiology Database: Taxon record for Hesperiidae
Paleobiology DatabaseTaxon record, first appearance (firstapp_max_ma, early_interval)
Quote, Taxon record, first appearance (firstapp_max_ma, early_interval)
"taxon_name": "Hesperiidae" ... "firstapp_max_ma": 56 ... "early_interval": "Ypresian"
View the Source
Wikidata: Hesperiidae
Wikidata Q232936, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source
Skipper (butterfly) (Wikipedia)
In Group: Butterfly Families, Lead
Quote, In Group: Butterfly Families, Lead
Skippers are a group of butterflies placed in the family Hesperiidae within the order Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies).
View the Source
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