Skippers | |
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Female Essex skipper, Thymelicus lineola | |
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Family: | Hesperiidae Latreille, 1809
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The skippers are a family of butterflies, the Hesperiidae. They are named after their quick, darting flight.
Skippers used to be classified in their own superfamily, Hesperioidea, because they have their antennae clubs hooked backward like a crochet while the other butterflies have club-like tips to their antennae. Skippers also have generally stockier bodies than regular butterflies, with stronger wing muscles. [1]