HESPERIIDAE of Australia
Darters and Skippers
 HESPERIOIDEA

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

(updated 1 February 2008)

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 : Cynone Skipper
    Anisynta dominula : Dominula Skipper
    Anisynta monticolae : Mountain Skipper
    Anisynta sphenosema : Wedge Skipper
    Anisynta tillyardi : Tillyard's Skipper

    Antipodia atralba
    Antipodia chaostola : Heath Sand Skipper

  • Antipodia dactyliota

    Arrhenes dschilus : Iris Skipper
    Arrhenes marnas : Affinis Skipper

    Badamia exclamationis : Brown Awl

    Borbo cinnara : Rice Swift
    Borbo impar : Yellow Swift

    Carcharodus boeticus : 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 : Aestiva Skipper
    Croitana arenaria : Inland Grass Skipper
    Croitana croites : Croites Skipper

    Dispar compacta : Dispar Skipper

    Euschemon rafflesia : Regent Skipper

    Exometoeca nycteris : Western Flat

  • Hasora celaenus
    Hasora chromus : Common Banded Awl
    Hasora discolor : Green Awl
    Hasora hurama : Broad Banded Awl
    Hasora khoda : Large Banded Awl

    Herimosa albovenata : White Veined Skipper

  • Hesperilla bifasciata
     Hesperilla chrysotricha : Chrysotricha Skipper
    Hesperilla crypsargyra : Silvered Skipper
    Hesperilla crypsigramma : Small Dingy Skipper
    Hesperilla donnysa : Donnysa Skipper
    Hesperilla flavescens : Altona Skipper
  • Hesperilla furva
    Hesperilla idothea : Flame Skipper
    Hesperilla malindeva : Two-spotted Sedge Skipper
    Hesperilla mastersi : Masters' Skipper
    Hesperilla ornata : Spotted Skipper
    Hesperilla picta : Painted Skipper
  • Hesperilla sarnia : Swift Sedge Skipper
    Hesperilla sexguttata : Six Spot Skipper

    Mesodina aeluropis : Aeluropis Skipper

  • Mesodina cyanophracta : Blue Iris Skipper
  • Mesodina gracillima : Northern Iris Skipper
    Mesodina halyzia : Halyzia Skipper
  • Mesodina hayi : Small Iris Skipper

  • Mimene atropatene

    Motasingha dirphia : Dirphia Skipper
    Motasingha trimaculata : Three Spot Skipper

    Neohesperilla crocea : Crocea Skipper
    Neohesperilla senta : Senta Skipper
    Neohesperilla xanthomera : Xanthomera Skipper
    Neohesperilla xiphiphora : Xiphiphora 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
    Ocybadistes walkeri : Yellow Banded Dart

  • Oriens augustula : August Dart

    Oreisplanus munionga : Alpine Skipper
    Oreisplanus perornata : Mountain Spotted Skipper

    Parnara amalia : Hyaline Swift
    Parnara bada : Straight Swift

    Pasma tasmanicus : Tasmanica Skipper

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

    Proeidosa polysema : Polysema Skipper

  • Pseudoborbo bevani : Bevan's Swift

  • Rachelia extrusus

    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 : Ina Grass Dart
    Taractrocera papyria : White Grass Dart

    Telicota ancilla : Greenish Darter
    Telicota anisodesma : Large Darter
    Telicota augias : Krefft's Darter
    Telicota brachydesma : Small Darter
    Telicota colon : Pale Grass Dart
    Telicota eurotas : Dingy Darter
    Telicota mesoptis : Lower's Darter
    Telicota ohara : Dark Darter

    Toxidia andersoni : Anderson's Skipper
    Toxidia doubledayi : Doubleday's Skipper

  • Toxidia inornatus : Inornata Skipper
    Toxidia melania : Black Skipper
    Toxidia parvulus : Parvula Skipper
    Toxidia peron : Large Dingy Skipper
    Toxidia rietmanni : White Brand Skipper
    Toxidia thyrrhus : Thyrrus Skipper

  • Trapezites argenteoornatus : Silver Spotted Skipper
    Trapezites eliena : Eliena Skipper
    Trapezites heteromacula : Orange White-spot Skipper
    Trapezites iacchoides : Iacchoides Skipper
    Trapezites iacchus : Iacchus Skipper
    Trapezites lutea : Rare White-spot Skipper
  • Trapezites macqueeni : MacQueen's Skipper
    Trapezites maheta : Maheta Skipper
    Trapezites petalia : Common White-spot Skipper
    Trapezites phigalia : Phigalia Skipper
    Trapezites phigaliodes : Phigalioides Skipper
    Trapezites praxedes : Praxedes Skipper
    Trapezites sciron : Sciron Skipper
    Trapezites symmomus : Symmomus Skipper
    Trapezites taori : Sandstone Ochre
  • Trapezites waterhousei

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