SpaceX White-Skipper
Heliopetes elonmuski
This record describes Heliopetes elonmuski (species). Recorded family: Hesperiidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Butterflies of America - BOA Type locality. Texas, Cameron Co., Boca Chica.
Identification notes
Butterflies of America - BOA
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Papilionoidea
- Family
- Hesperiidae (Skippers)
- Subfamily
- Pyrginae
- Tribe
- Pyrgini
- Genus
- Heliopetes (White-Skippers)
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
southmost Texas (Boca Chica, Cameron Co.) to Costa Rica
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Heliopetes elonmuski Grishin, 2023
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Heliopetes elonmuski. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Lepidoptera includes approximately 180,000 described species of butterflies and moths. Moths outnumber butterflies roughly 10:1. The monarch butterfly's eastern population has declined by more than 80% since the mid-1990s, and the western population by over 95% since the 1980s. The IUCN lists the migratory monarch as Vulnerable.
Ecological role of the group
Butterflies and moths are essential indicators of ecosystem health. As caterpillars, they are a primary food source for birds - a single nest of blue tit chicks requires ~10,000 caterpillars. Adult moths pollinate many night-blooming plants.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Lepidoptera are critical pollinators. In Europe, grassland butterfly species have declined by almost 50% since the early 1990s. In the UK, three-quarters of butterflies are in decline. In the U.S., five butterfly species have gone extinct since 1950, with 29 listed as endangered.
Recorded sources for this group: IUCN Red List, Xerces Society, USFWS, PNAS, WWF. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Frequently Asked Questions About SpaceX White-Skipper
What is SpaceX White-Skipper?
SpaceX White-Skipper (Heliopetes elonmuski) is a species in the family Hesperiidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How do you identify SpaceX White-Skipper?
Butterflies of America - BOA
Where is SpaceX White-Skipper found?
Range: southmost Texas (Boca Chica, Cameron Co.) to Costa Rica