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Hylephila sp.
Hylephila sp. Are part of the Hesperiidae family commonly known in english as Skippers, for their fast movements between flowers.
Skippers share many characteristics with other butterflies, especially in the egg, larval and pupal stage.
However, 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. But unlike for example the Arctiidae, 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.
The wings are usually well-rounded with more or less sharply-tipped forewings. There are some with prominent hindwing tails, and others have more angled wings; the skippers' basic wing shape varies not much by comparison to Papilionoidea however. Sexual dichromatism is present in this genus males may have a blackish streak or patch of scent scales on their forewings.
Many species of skippers look frustratingly 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.
This was found on a field.
As the description states, this genus is particularly hard to ID, look at the collection of 2 species that share territory.
http://www.butterfliesofamerica.com/L/hy...
and
http://www.butterfliesofamerica.com/L/hy...
Gud get Agustin! I just learned how hard it is to ID skipper or dart in my spotting http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/103...
This spotting is most likely to be of one of two species, Hylephila fasciolata or Hylephila signata. I was inclined for H. fasciolata, because of the more intense colouring.
But the wikipedia article on Hesperiidae stated Hylephila can only be identified with a microscope, so I left it as Hylephila sp.
Spotted on Feb 2, 2012
Submitted on Mar 21, 2012
