Skippers

[Geraldine Ferraiz]

Skippers are a group of butterflies placed in the family Hesperiidae within the order Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies). They were previously placed in a separate superfamily, Hesperioidea; however, the most recent taxonomy places the family in the superfamily Papilionoidea, the butterflies. They are named for their quick, darting flight habits. Most have their antenna tips modified into narrow, hook-like projections. Moreover, skippers mostly have an absence of wing-coupling structure available in most moths.[1] 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.[2]

Traditionally, the Hesperiidae were placed in a monotypic superfamily Hesperioidea, because they are morphologically distinct from other Rhopalocera (butterflies), which mostly belong to the typical butterfly superfamily Papilionoidea. The third and rather small butterfly superfamily is the moth-butterflies (Hedyloidea), which are restricted to the Neotropics, but recent phylogenetic analyses suggest the traditional Papilionoidea are paraphyletic, thus the subfamilies should be reorganised to reflect true cladistic relationships.[3][4]

Collectively, these three groups of butterflies share many characteristics, especially in the egg, larval, and pupal stages.[2] Nevertheless, skippers have the antennae clubs hooked backward like a crochet hook, while the typical butterflies have club-like tips to their antennae, and moth-butterflies have feathered or pectinate (comb-shaped) antennae similar to moths. Skippers also have generally stockier bodies and larger compound eyes than the other two groups, with stronger wing muscles in the plump thorax, in this resembling many moths more than the other two butterfly lineages do. Unlike, for example, the Arctiinae, though, their wings are usually small in proportion to their bodies. Some have larger wings, but only rarely as large in proportion to the body as in other butterflies. When at rest, skippers keep their wings usually angled upwards or spread out, and only rarely fold them up completely.[2]

The wings are usually well-rounded with more or less sharply tipped forewings. Some have prominent hindwing tails, and others have more angled wings; the skippers' basic wing shapes vary not much by comparison to the Papilionoidea, though. Most have a fairly drab coloration of browns and greys; some are more boldly black-and-white. Yellow, red, and blue hues are less often found, but some largely brown species are quite richly colored, too. Green colors and metallic iridescence are generally absent. Sexual dichromatism is present in some; males may have a blackish streak or patch of scent scales on their forewings.[2]

Many species of skippers look very alike. For example, some species in the genera Amblyscirtes, Erynnis (duskywings), and Hesperia (branded skippers) cannot currently be distinguished in the field even by experts. The only reliable method of telling them apart involves dissection and microscopic examination of the genitalia, which have characteristic structures that prevent mating except between conspecifics.[2]

Skippers are classified in the order of Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies), within the family Hesperiidae, which now belongs to the superfamily Papilionoidea, the superfamily of butterflies. (Previously, Hesperiidae was placed in its own superfamily, Hesperiodea.) We have about 30 species of skippers in the Bay Area, each belonging to one of two subfamilies: the spread-wings (Pyrginae) and the branded or grass skippers (Hesperiinae).

Show your Skippers OneCard or SC4 employee ID to get the following
discounts or promotions from these local businesses. If your business would like to participate in this program, contact Sherry Artman at (810) 989-5560 or skipper...@sc4.edu for details.

Our workshops have attracted more than 4,000 participants, from purse-seine skippers, crew, ship owners and fleet managers to cannery managers, scientists, and government officials. We also have hosted seabird and sea turtle workshops for longline skippers.

On the ISSF Guidebooks site, we provide in-depth sustainable-fishing guides for tuna skippers and observers in Web and PDF format, including in translation. We also offer tuna and bycatch species identification guides and other practical resources.

Larvae: Skipper caterpillars have a remarkably large head, compared to the width of their bodies. Often the head is darker colored than the rest of the body. Just behind the head, their bodies are extra narrowed, which accentuates the head even more. Mostly, they are green, tan, gray, or beige, with no or few hairs.

Many Missouri species are found in locally abundant places or scattered localities near their favorite food plants. Since some food plants are located mainly in native tallgrass prairies, the skippers that feed on them form colonies in those limited habitats. Other species, which feed on a wide variety of plants, are more widespread.

The larvae of grass skippers typically feed on grasses and sedges, while the larvae of spread-winged skippers typically feed on forbs (broad-leaved wildflowers and other herbaceous plants, such as legumes or mallows) or on the leaves of woody plants such as oaks.

Some species are able to eat a rather wide variety of species, while others are more limited. The arogos skipper, for example, is not just limited to eating grasses as a caterpillar; it is pretty much limited specifically to big bluestem and little bluestem grasses, and this is why its populations occur only in native prairie habitats. The dion skipper's caterpillars eat only sedges, and they occur mostly along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers.

Many skippers have multiple broods, while some have only one generation a year. Like other butterflies, skippers hatch from eggs as caterpillars. The caterpillars grow and molt a number of times. When fully grown, the caterpillar pupates and emerges as a winged adult. Female skippers typically lay eggs singly on or near suitable host plants. Grass skipper caterpillars build shelters by rolling blades of grass around their bodies; this is how they spend the winter.

In some species, male skippers stake out a territory, perching on a prominent object and waiting for females to fly near. In other species, males seek females by patrolling an area. Male grass skippers are often seen fluttering rapidly around females, wafting the pheromones from the stigma patches on their wings, in their attempts to woo potential mates. Males also often dash out to inspect and drive away potential intruders.

Some skippers, though they may breed in our state during the summer, cannot survive Missouri winters. The sachem and fiery skipper are examples. They must recolonize our state each year, as populations that survive winters to our south gradually expand their ranges northward over the spring and summer.

We associate skippers with carefree summer days . . . sun-kissed grasslands full of wildflowers . . . gardens bright with zinnias, sunflowers, and marigolds . . . and lazy walks on dusty country roads, where flowers bloom freely in fencerow thickets.

Many predators eat skippers, including birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. A skipper that falls into a lake may be eaten by a fish. But hiding in the centers of the flowers they visit are crab spiders, ambush bugs, praying mantises, and other predators that are just as hungry.

The byssus, Ottoe, and arogos skippers have localized populations limited to high-quality native prairie habitats. That several of our skippers are strongly associated with native prairies is a reminder that prairie conservation is important not just for us but for other organisms, too.

Supposedly skippers got their name because of the way they fly. Skippers fly in a jerky fashion, especially when flying from one flower to the next. Apparently, someone thought it looked like they were skipping through the air from one flower to the next.

Like many other butterflies, the adults will feed on a variety of flowers. Depending on the species, skippers can go through 2-4 generations in a single year in Kentucky. The last generation of the year will overwinter as a chrysalis.

The Dakota skipper is a small butterfly that lives in high-quality mixed and tallgrass prairie. The species experienced a decline coinciding with the conversion and degradation of its prairie habitat and was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 2014, and critical habitat was designated. The Dakota skipper lost 85 to 99% of its original tallgrass prairie in their historical range that once included Illinois and Iowa and now occurs in remnants of native mixed and tallgrass prairie in Minnesota, the Dakotas and southern Canada. Dakota skippers may survive in areas where lands have some grazing or haying, and in fact, they are dependent on habitat that experiences periodic disturbance; however, Dakota skippers disappear when these disturbances become too intense, as noted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Public land managers use a variety of management tools to conserve native prairie, mainly haying, prescribed fire and grazing. Each presents a significant challenge when trying to conserve Dakota skippers. Land managers and biologists are encouraged to work together using science-based adaptive management to develop and refine strategies that are practical and conserve Dakota skippers.

Dakota skipper larvae, caterpillars, feed on several native grass species, but little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) is a more frequent food source. Little bluestem and other bunchgrasses provide Dakota skipper caterpillars with a large cluster of edible grass as noted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Adult male Dakota skippers exhibit perching behavior, perching on tall plants to search for females, but they occasionally appear to patrol in search of mating opportunities, as noted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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