HESPERIIDAE in Australia Darters and Skippers HESPERIOIDEA

Don Herbison-Evans, (donherbisonevans@yahoo.com) and Stella Crossley

HESPERIIDAE eggs

HESPERIIDAE caterpillars

HESPERIIDAE pupae

HESPERIIDAE butterflies

HESPERIIDAE undersides

The scientific name for this family was possibly named after Hesperis, the Ancient Greek name for Venus the Evening Star, or perhaps more likely: the Hesperides, the nymphs who were daughters of Atlas and Hesperis, who were the guardians of the golden apples (three of which were stolen by Hercules as one of the Labours of Hercules), in Ancient Greek legend.

The common names of the subfamilies are derived from the adults not the Caterpillars, so "Skipper" and "Darter" describe the characteristic way in which these butterflies flit from flower to flower when feeding.

The 124 named Australian species of HESPERIIDAE are:

Allora doleschallii : Peacock Awl
Allora major : Greater Peacock Awl

Anisynta cynone : Mottled Grass-Skipper
Anisynta dominula : Two-brand Grass-Skipper
Anisynta monticolae : Mountain Skipper
Anisynta sphenosema : Wedge Skipper
Anisynta tillyardi : Chequered Grass-Skipper

Antipodia atralba : Diamond Sand-Skipper
Antipodia chaostola : Heath Sand-Skipper
Antipodia dactyliota : Western Sand-Skipper

Arrhenes dschilus : Scrub Darter
Arrhenes marnas : Swamp Darter

Badamia exclamationis : Brown Awl

Borbo cinnara : Rice Swift
Borbo impar : Yellow Swift

Carcharodus baeticus : Horehound Skipper

Cephrenes augiades : Orange Palm-Dart
Cephrenes trichopepla : Yellow Palm-Dart

Chaetocneme beata : Common Redeye
Chaetocneme critomedia : Banded Redeye
Chaetocneme denitza : Rare Redeye
Chaetocneme porphyropis : Purple Redeye

Croitana aestiva : Desert Skipper
Croitana arenaria : Inland Sand Skipper
Croitana croites : Yellow Sand Skipper

Dispar compacta : Barred Skipper

Euschemon rafflesia : Regent Skipper

Exometoeca nycteris : Western Flat

Hasora celaenus : Maluku Awl
Hasora chromus : Chrome Awl
Hasora discolor : Green Awl
Hasora hurama : Broad Banded Awl
Hasora khoda : Large Banded Awl

Herimosa albovenata : White-veined Skipper

Hesperilla bifasciata : Rare Skipper
Hesperilla chrysotricha : Golden-haired Sedge-Skipper
Hesperilla crypsargyra : Silver Sedge-Skipper
Hesperilla crypsigramma : Small Dingy Sedge-Skipper
Hesperilla donnysa : Varied Sedge-Skipper
Hesperilla flavescens : Yellow Sedge-Skipper
Hesperilla furva : Grey Sedge-Skipper
Hesperilla idothea : Flame Sedge-Skipper
Hesperilla malindeva : Two-spotted Sedge-Skipper
Hesperilla mastersi : Chequered Sedge-Skipper
Hesperilla ornata : Spotted Sedge-Skipper
Hesperilla picta : Painted Sedge-Skipper
Hesperilla sarnia : Swift Sedge-Skipper
Hesperilla sexguttata : Six-spot Sedge-Skipper

Mesodina aeluropis : Montane Iris-Skipper
Mesodina cyanophracta : Blue Iris-Skipper
Mesodina gracillima : Northern Iris Skipper
Mesodina halyzia : Eastern Iris-Skipper
Mesodina hayi : Small Iris -Skipper

Mimene atropatene : Purple Swift

Motasingha dirphia : Western Brown-Skipper
Motasingha trimaculata : Large Brown-Skipper

Neohesperilla crocea : Narrow-brand Grass-Skipper
Neohesperilla senta : Spotted Grass-Skipper
Neohesperilla xanthomera : Yellow Grass-Skipper
Neohesperilla xiphiphora : Sword-brand Grass-Skipper

Netrocoryne repanda : Eastern Flat

Notocrypta waigensis : Banded Demon

Ocybadistes ardea : Dark Orange Dart
Ocybadistes flavovittata : Common Dart
Ocybadistes hypomeloma : Pale Orange Dart
Ocybadistes knightorum : Black Grass Dart
Ocybadistes walkeri : Yellow Banded Dart

Oriens augustula : (Fiji Grass Dart)

Oreisplanus munionga : Alpine Skipper
Oreisplanus perornatus : Mountain Spotted Skipper

Parnara amalia : Hyaline Swift
Parnara bada : Grey Swift

Pasma tasmanica : Two-spotted Grass-Skipper

Pelopidas agna : Dingy Swift
Pelopidas lyelli : Lyell's Swift

Proeidosa polysema : Spinifex Sand-Skipper

Pseudoborbo bevani : (Lesser Rice Swift)

Rachelia extrusa : Blue Flash Skipper

Sabera caesina : Black & White Swift
Sabera dobboe : Miskin's Swift
Sabera fuliginosa : White Fringed Swift

Signeta flammeata : Bright Shield-Skipper
Signeta tymbophora : Dingy Shield-Skipper

Suniana lascivia : Dingy Dart
Suniana sunias : Orange Dart

Tagiades japetus : Black & White Flat
Tagiades nestus

Taractrocera anisomorpha : Orange Grass-Dart
Taractrocera dolon : Dingy Grass-Dart
Taractrocera ilia : Northern Grass-Dart
Taractrocera ina : No-Brand Grass-Dart
Taractrocera papyria : White Grass-Dart

Telicota ancilla : Greenish Darter
Telicota anisodesma : Large Darter
Telicota augias : Bright-orange Darter
Telicota brachydesma : Small Darter
Telicota colon : Pale Grass Dart
Telicota eurotas : Dingy Darter
Telicota eurychlora : Southern Darter
Telicota mesoptis : Lower's Darter
Telicota ohara : Dark Darter

Toxidia andersoni : Anderson's Grass-Skipper
Toxidia doubledayi : Doubleday's Grass-Skipper
Toxidia inornatus : Spotless Grass Skipper
Toxidia melania : Black Grass-Skipper
Toxidia parvula : Banded Grass-Skipper
Toxidia peron : Large Dingy Grass-Skipper
Toxidia rietmanni : White-Brand Grass-Skipper
Toxidia thyrrhus : Dusky Grass-Skipper

Trapezites argenteoornatus : Silver Spotted Ochre
Trapezites atkinsi : Atkins' Ochre
Trapezites eliena : Orange Ochre
Trapezites heteromacula : Orange White-spot Skipper
Trapezites iacchoides : Silver-studded Ochre
Trapezites iacchus : Brown Ochre
Trapezites luteus : Rare White-spot Ochre
Trapezites macqueeni : Bronze Ochre
Trapezites maheta : Northern Silver Ochre
Trapezites petalia : Black-ringed Ochre
Trapezites phigalia : Heath Ochre
Trapezites phigaliodes : Montane Ochre
Trapezites praxedes : Southern Silver Ochre
Trapezites sciron : Mallee Ochre
Trapezites symmomus : Splendid Ochre
Trapezites taori : Sandstone Ochre
Trapezites waterhousei : Mottled Ochre

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(updated 26 November 2010, 24 October 2022)