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Identification guide ~ The 'Skipper' family
(Hesperiidae)
Links to species on this page . . .
![]() | |
![]() | Introduction |
![]() | Large, Small & Essex Skippers |
![]() | Dingy Skipper |
![]() | Grizzled Skipper |
![]() | Silver-spotted Skipper |
![]() | Return to Identification guide index page |
Introduction
Of the
eight members of the 'Skipper' family found in Britain
- Small, Essex, Large, Lulworth, Silver-spotted, Chequered, Dingy
and Grizzled Skipper - only five species are known to occur in
our area.
Middlesex
and Hertfordshire both have Small Skipper, Essex Skipper and
Large Skipper, whereas our only known colonies of Dingy and
Grizzled Skipper are limited to Hertfordshire.
This
page starts with the three most common - Small, Essex and Large.
Although the Large Skipper isn't too hard to identify, the Small
and Essex Skippers are so similar, even the most experienced of
recorders will tell you it is extremely hard to tell them apart!
Guide books and photos will quite happily explain the differences
but when confronted with a cloud of skippers on a hot summer day,
actually telling them apart is a different matter.
Small
Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris)
Essex Skipper (Thymelicus lineola)
It was only in 1888 that a butterfly collector realised that the specimen he had caught in Essex was different from the Small Skipper. Although there are several ways of telling them apart as adults, the most significant difference is in their life-cycle. The Small Skipper winters as a caterpillar, the Essex Skipper winters as an egg. As a result of this, the Small Skipper usually emerges about 2 weeks before the Essex. Both of these skippers are extremely fast flying butterflies and never stay still for long, which makes the process of separation very difficult. The only time that identification can be made easier is on a cool day when the butterfly is less active!
Small
and Essex Skipper Fact File
Flight Period |
Small: Mid June to
August |
Wingspan |
Small: 27mm - 34mm |
Status in Hertfordshire |
Common |
Status in Middlesex |
Common |
Generations per year |
One |
Larval food plant |
Grasses such as
Yorkshire fog, creeping soft grass, timothy |
Favourite Nectar plants |
Many wild flowers including fleabane and ragwort |
Favourite locations |
A search of your
local rough grassy places should give you a good chance |
Identification
The
photographs used have been compiled from photographs made
available to the Branch. Unfortunately, not all show the subtle
differences as clearly as we would wish and hopefully as the year
progresses new photographs can be substituted.
The late Charles
Smith's experiences in recording these two species should be of
help to all recorders. He has based his computerised drawings on
standard references books and his own personal experience of
recording skippers. However, he does point out that some of the
'differences' may be only local. Additional information
has been taken from Herts & Middx Branch Newsletter -
Issue 11 Sept '97 Small & Essex Skippers by John Murray. Records
are always welcome even if you are unable to tell them apart -
simply refer to them as Small/Essex Skipper!
1. The most
reliable method of identifying Small and Essex is to look below
the antennal tips. This area will be jet black on Essex Skipper,
and orange or brown on Small Skipper. However, care is needed
because a few will show very dark brown undertips, whilst others
have confusing amounts of black on top of their antennae.
2. The small
black streak on the upperside of the forewings of males known as
the scent line is much bolder in the Small Skipper and lies at a
slight angle to the front edge of the wing. The Essex Skipper has
a finer line, which is parallel to the front edge of the forewing
- unfortunately this only applies to males.
3. Generally
Essex Skippers are supposed to be a little smaller, but since
there is an overlap in size this is not a good way to tell them
apart.
4. The wings
of Essex Skipper appear squarer to some people, with more pointed
fore wings.
5. The Essex
Skipper has lighter, greener undersides to its hind wings.
6. In mixed
groups the Essex Skipper appears to be a brighter colour on top,
but Charles comments that this may be due to this species
emerging later and being fresher when compared
7. In the
Small Skipper, the triangular tip to the underside of the
forewing is a contrasting pale olive buff colour, whereas the
rest of the underwing is orange. In the Essex Skipper the
distinct olive buff tip of the forewing is more or less absent
with the whole underside of the wing being a rather uniform
orange. However, Charles points out that some Essex Skippers also
have a smaller area of dull brown along the edge of the wing!
Click
on images to enlarge
Large Skipper |
Small Skipper |
Essex Skipper |
Large Skipper is a larger
butterfly and more heavily marked
|
Small Skipper male scent mark is generally thicker than Essex.
The antennae tips appear more orange when image enlarged © photo: Sandra Standbridge
|
Essex Skipper is a slightly brighter colour
The antennae tips appears darker when image enlarged |
The underside of the Small Skipper antennae is clearly visible in this image (left) |
||
Large Skipper's markings show through its underwing |
Small Skipper shows clearly the triangular tip of the forewing is a pale olive buff colour
|
Essex Skipper forewings are more square and have lighter, greener undersides to hind wing
|
Charles
Smith's exaggerated computer images help show the
differences |
Small Skipper thicker scent line, lighter colour, hindwing less green, less pointed forewing, the tip of the antennae is black below |
Essex Skipper thinner scent line, darker colour, hindwing greener, squarer forewing, no olive buff tip to forewing, underside of antennae tips are jet black |
Large
Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanus)
The Large
Skipper is not dissimilar to the Essex and Small Skipper, but can
be easily identified - there is rarely any confusion between the
species, when the butterfly is not flying. The Large Skipper
usually appears ahead of Small and Essex although their flight
periods then overlap, and as the name suggests, it is visibly
larger. It is a bright orange brown in colour and the wings have
a lovely pattern of paler marks. The Large Skipper can behave in
a slightly different way to the Small and Essex, in that it is
more often found basking in the sun, taking a prominent position
on a bramble perhaps, and is prepared to stay still for longer!
The Large Skipper tends to stay closer to the edge of fields or
along a hedgeline, whereas the Small and Essex Skippers will just
as often be found out in the middle of a grassy field.
Large
Skipper Fact File
Flight Period |
End of May to August |
Wingspan |
35mm |
Status in Hertfordshire |
Widespread but usually in lower numbers than Small or Essex Skippers |
Status in Middlesex |
Well distributed but usually in lower numbers than Small or Essex Skippers |
Generations per year |
One |
Larval food plant |
Broad-leaved grasses such as cocksfoot and the larger fescues |
Favourite Nectar plants |
Many wild flowers, but especially scabious, bramble and knapweed |
Favourite locations |
A search of brambles and other low
vegetation along your local field edges and |
Dingy Skipper (Erynnis tages)
This is the
rarest skipper found in Hertfordshire and there are no known
sites in Middlesex. The butterfly is almost moth-like in
behaviour and flight, and also likes basking on bare or stony
ground with its wings spread flat out. However, when roosting the
butterfly will hold its wings flat over its body in a moth like
manner. There are several day-flying moths that can be a problem
when locating and identifying Dingy Skipper including Mother Shipton, Burnet Companion and
Common Heath (see photo under Grizzled Skipper) and Silver-ground Carpet.
Dingy Skipper |
Burnet Companion moth |
Mother Shipton moth |
Silver-ground Carpet |
Dingy Skipper Fact File
Flight Period |
End of April to mid June (this varies with the season's weather) |
Wingspan |
25mm |
Status in Hertfordshire |
Only a few known sites |
Status in Middlesex |
No known sites |
Generations per year |
One |
Larval food plant |
Bird's foot trefoil |
Favourite Nectar plants |
Spring flowers |
Favourite locations |
Chalk downlands and flowery woodland clearings |
Where to see
them - Hertfordshire |
Aldbury Nowers, Hexton Chalk Pits and Bovingdon Brickworks |
Grizzled
Skipper (Pyrgus malvae)
This small fast flying butterfly is only known to be found in
Hertfordshire at a few sites. The Grizzled Skipper is relatively
easy to identify, although a few day flying moths can also cause
problems. Mother Shipton (see photo above with Dingy Skipper), Latticed Heath and Common Heath are notorious! The main
problem is that the butterfly is so small and fast that it is
sometimes impossible to follow especially on the old pits at
Waterford Heath!
On a sunny day, the butterfly can be found
basking on stony or bare ground with its wings spread out, or
nectaring on low-growing flowers, but in dull weather, the wings
are closed together over its back. They can be observed
roosting on seed heads at the beginning or at the end of the day or during dull or wet weather.
Grizzled Skipper |
Common Heath |
Latticed
Heath |
Grizzled
Skipper Fact File
Flight Period |
Mid April to mid June (this varies depending on the season's weather) |
Wingspan |
28mm |
Status in Hertfordshire |
Only a few known sites |
Status in Middlesex |
No known sites |
Generations per year |
One |
Larval food plant |
Wild potentillas
such as common agrimony, wild strawberry, creeping
cinquefoil and tormenteil. |
Favourite Nectar plants |
Spring flowers including wild strawberry, celandine and forget-me-knot |
Favourite locations |
Sheltered bare or stony ground |
Where to see
them - Hertfordshire |
Aldbury Nowers, Waterford Heath (north & south pits) |
Silver-spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma)
Silver-spotted
Skipper is one of Britain's rarest butterflies
and is now restricted to only a few areas of chalk
downland in Southern England. |
||
© photo: Steve Lane | © photo: Sandra Standbridge |
![]() | |
![]() | Introduction |
![]() | Large, Small & Essex Skippers |
![]() | Dingy Skipper |
![]() | Grizzled Skipper |
![]() | Silver-spotted Skipper |
![]() | Return to Identification guide index page |
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