Hill Country Skipper
Hesperia balcones
This record describes Hesperia balcones (species). Recorded family: Hesperiidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Butterflies of America - BOA Type locality: Texas, Travis Co., Volente, along Lime Creek Rd. between GPS 30.4611, −97.9064 and 30.4605, −97.9011.
Identification notes
Butterflies of America - BOA
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Papilionoidea
- Family
- Hesperiidae (Skippers)
- Subfamily
- Hesperiinae
- Tribe
- Hesperiini
- Genus
- Hesperia (Branded Skippers)
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
Limestone cliffs and hills of the Balcones Escarpment
Geographic Range
c. TX (Travis, Kerr & Bexar counties) - BOA
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Hesperia balcones Grishin, 2023
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Hesperia balcones. 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 Hill Country Skipper
What is Hill Country Skipper?
Hill Country Skipper (Hesperia balcones) is a species in the family Hesperiidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How do you identify Hill Country Skipper?
Butterflies of America - BOA
Where is Hill Country Skipper found?
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Habitat | Limestone cliffs and hills of the Balcones Escarpment |
| Range | c. TX (Travis, Kerr & Bexar counties) - BOA |