A skipper is a member of the insect order Lepidoptera somewhat intermediate between a butterfly and a moth.

Skippers are classified with the butterflies (Family Hesperiidae), but differ in several important ways. They have the antennae clubs hooked backward, have stocky bodies, and possess stronger wing muscles and better eyes.

The North American Butterfly Association (NABA) divides the skippers into five subfamilies:

  • Firetips (Subfamily Pyrrhopyginae)
  • Spread-wing Skippers (Subfamily Pyrginae)
  • Skipperlings (Subfamily Heteropterinae)
  • Grass Skippers (Subfamily Hesperiinae)
  • Giant Skippers (Subfamily Megathyminae)

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.