Publ . 17 . IV . 1925 . 
HESPERIDAE. By Dr. 0. AubivillIus. 
505 
9. Family: Hesperidae. 
The Hesperids form a very sharply defined systematic unit *) without any relations to the other 
Rhopalocera, with which it is certainly not in a genetic connection. By the genus Euschemon Dbl., however, 
in which the hindwings are provided with bristles, the Hesperids approximate the typical Heterocera, though 
there are no other connecting links known among the now living lepidoptera. 
Morphologically, the Hesperids are particularly distinguished by the following characters: 
Head large and broad. Eyes large and bare. Palpi large and broad; the first two joints are densely and 
broadly scaled, closely appressed to the frons; the third joint is sometimes small and hidden by the hairs or 
scales of the second joint, sometimes long and projecting, always with a very thin, appressed vestiture (usually 
denoted as ,,bare“). Proboscis long and strongly developed. Antennae at the base widely separated, with 
a distinct club; the club often long with a longish, straight or hook-like bent, rarely rounded tip. The different 
formation of the clubs is of great systematic importance. 
The thorax is stout and strongly built, and encloses strongly developed muscles of flight. The wings 
are comparatively small and exhibit a very plain structure of the veins, all the veins rising from the base of 
the wing or from the dical cells and running quite separately. The forewing invariably has 12 and the hindwing 
8 veins. Vein 2 of the forewing generally rises near the base of the wing far before the centre of the cell; 
vein 5 rises from the terminal vein of the discal cell, sometimes midway between 4 and 6 and sometimes 
nearer at one of these veins; vein 11 very rarely anastomoses with vein 12. The discal cell of the forewing is 
sometimes hardly longer than half the costal margin, sometimes as long as two thirds of it. In the hindwing 
vein 5 is often feebly developed or sometimes absent altogether. 
All the three pair of legs are completely developed; the front tibiae almost invariably with a shin-blade, 
and the hind tibiae normally with 4 spurs. 
The larvae are longish, bare or finely haired and particularly distinguished by the large head and small 
first joints of the body, whereby the body appears to be strangulated behind the head. They generally live 
hidden between the leaves of their food-plants, which they have spun together. 
The pupae are oblong, usually rounded off without edges, sometimes with an extended apex of the 
head. They are fastened by the hooks of the cremaster and a thread round the middle, and like the larvae rest 
between convolute leaves. 
In spite of the meritorious works of E. Y. Watson, P. Mabille, W. Holland, and many others, the 
systematic classification of the Hesperids still leaves very much to be desired for. I had hoped to be able to 
try a new systematism of the African Hesperids. But as this volume of the ,,Macrolepidoptera“ has to be 
completed as soon as possible, I am forced to give up my intention, and I have therefore rather closely followed 
the latest division by Mabille (in ,,Genera Insectorum“). 
Review of the Subfamilies. 
A. Last palpal joint long, straight, horizontally porrect. The discal cell as long as two thirds of the costal 
margin or longer. Vein 5 of the forewing quite straight and running almost exactly in the middle between 
4 and 5. 1 . Lsmeninae. 
B. Last palpal joint not horizontally porrect. The discal cell of the hindwing almost invariably shorter than 
two thirds of the costal margin. 
a. Vein 5 of the forewing at its rise more or less bent backwards, and there always nearer to vein 4 than 
to 6. 2. Pam/philinae. 
[3. Vein 5 of the forewing beginning from its rise quite straight. 
*) In the other volumes of this work dealing with butterflies the Hesperidae have therefore been separated from 
the other families of butterflies as Grypocera. Of. Vol. I, p. 329, and Vol. V, p. 8.33. 
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