Hesperia (butterfly)
Hesperia, the branded skippers, is a Holarctic genus in the skippers butterfly family. Most species are endemic to North America, Hesperia comma is widespread throughout the region. H. florinda is endemic to temperate eastern Asia. H. nabokovi is endemic to Hispaniola.
Presumably, Johan Christian Fabricius named the genus for Hesperia, one of the Hesperides.
Species
The following species are recognised in the genus Hesperia:Hesperia assiniboia – Plains skipperHesperia attalus – dotted skipper – south United StatesHesperia caucasica Riabov, 1926 CaucasusHesperia colorado – western branded skipperHesperia columbia – Columbian skipper – California to Southwest OregonHesperia comma – silver-spotted skipper or common branded skipperHesperia dacotae – Dakota skipperHesperia florinda Hesperia juba – Juba skipperHesperia leonardus – Leonard's skipperHesperia lindseyi – Lindsey's skipper – Southwest Oregon, California, Southwest ArizonaHesperia meskei W. H. Edwards, 1877 – Meke's skipper, Dixie skipper – Texas to FloridaHesperia metea Scudder, 1863 – cobweb skipperHesperia miriamae MacNeill, 1959 – Sierra skipper – Inyo County, CaliforniaHesperia nabokovi HispaniolaHesperia nevada – Nevada skipperHesperia ottoe W. H. Edwards, 1866 – Ottoe skipperHesperia pahaska Luessler, 1938 – Pahaska skipperHesperia sassacus Harris, 1862 – Indian skipperHesperia uncas W. H. Edwards, 1863 – Uncas skipperHesperia viridis – green skipper – Mexico, New MexicoHesperia woodgatei – Apache skipper – Arizona, New Mexico, South Texas, North Mexico
Former species
Many species originally described in the genus Hesperia have now been reclassified. For a list of selected former species see List of former species in the genus Hesperia.