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Skipper (Butterfly) The Skippers are a group of insects in the order Lepidoptera. The skippers are usually counted as butterflies, but they are somewhat intermediate between the rest of the butterflies and the remaining Lepidoptera, the moths. Skippers are classified in the superfamily Hesperioidea, which includes only one family, the Hesperiidae. They differ in several important ways from the remaining butterflies, which are classified in superfamily Papilionoidea. Skippers have the antennae clubs hooked backward, have stocky bodies, and possess stronger wing muscles and better eyes. Nonetheless, the two superfamilies are regarded as sister taxa, so the butterflies collectively form a true clade. In fact, some taxonomists place the family Hesperiidae within the superfamily Papilionoidea. There are about 4000 species of Skippers. They are usually classified in the following subfamilies: Some authorities treat the Giant Skippers as a separate family, the Megathymidae, but more modern classifications place them within the subfamily Hesperiinae in the family Hesperiidae. Many species of skippers look frustratingly alike. For example, some species in the genera Erynnis, Hesperia, and Amblyscirtes cannot currently be distinguished in the field by experts, the only reliable method of telling them apart involving dissection and examination of the genitalia. Examples include: Aaron's Skipper
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