The Butterflies of the World Foundation
A Non-
Hemes Skipper
Milanion hemes, Cramer, 1777
Subfamily Pyrginae
Tribe Achlyodidini
Milanion hemes, Mount Saint Benedict, Trinidad, 1 July 2002 Ref #:
I-
Taxonomy
The family Hesperiidae includes all butterflies that are collectively called skippers because of their fast skipping flight. This family is the sole member of the Superfamily Hesperioidea. Whereas, the other five families of butterflies belong to the Superfamily Papilionoidea. So, skippers are considered butterflies, but they have a few traits different than the species of “True” butterflies found in the Superfamily Papilionoidea. Some of these traits include large eyes, short antennae (often with hooked clubs) and stout bodies. Most also have a very rapid flight with a fast, almost blurred, wing beat. There are about 3,500 species of skippers and they’re further divided into seven subfamilies. They occur worldwide with more found in the tropics. Most species are brown or tan, but some tropical members can be quite colorful.
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General Information:
Milanion hemes belongs to the subfamily Pyrginae. This species is found from Costa Rica south to northern South America. It is usually seen along the narrower forest tracks, where dappled sunlight filters down through the canopy.
Lifecycle:
The lifecycle of this species is not well known.