Hesperiidae

Latreille, 1809

The Hesperiidae are a family of insects of the order of the Lepidoptera, known in English by the common name skippers. They had previously been placed in a separate superfamily, Hesperioidea; however, the most recent taxonomy places the family in the Papilionoidea superfamily.

The wings are generally well rounded with the apexes of the fore wings more or less pointed. However, the basic wing shapes of the Hesperiidae do not vary much from the Papilionoidea. Most have a coloring gray or brown but species with contrasting black and white colors are not rare. Yellow, red and blue hues are found less often, but in some species are also clearly visible.

Metallic iridescence and shades of green are generally absent. Sexual dimorphism is present in some species, in which males may have a blackish stripe or an androconial spot on the front wings.
More than 3500 species of Hesperidae are recognized, and they occur worldwide, but with the greatest diversity in the Neotropical regions of Central and South America.