It still is the second-largest subfamily of skipper butterflies, although of its over 1,000 species a considerable number are no longer in that classification.

[1] Males maintain territories and frequently perch on overhanging branches and tree trunks.

They do not visit flowers for sustenance, but rather drink fluids from dung, carrion, and rotting fruit.

[1] A large and successful subfamily, the spread-winged skippers are found essentially worldwide, except in very cold or desert regions.

It is also possible that the group originated in the Neotropics and subsequently dispersed eastwards to Africa via the Intertropical Convergence Zone.