Butterflies - Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris)
The Small Skipper and Essex Skipper are almost identical in appearance which often makes identification in the field extremely difficult as they are often found living in the same habitats and on the wing at similar times.
One key difference between the Small Skipper and Essex Skipper is that the Small Skipper has dull brown/orange tips while the Essex Skipper has a distinctive glossy black tips to its antennae. Small Skippers are also slightly more orange in appearance.
The adult butterflies spend much of their time basking or resting on grass stems in typical 'golden skipper' style.
- Larval Food Plants
- Habitat
- Status
- Key Sites
- Links
- Photographs
Yorkshire-fog (Holcus lanatus)
Cock's-foot (Dactylis glomerata)
False Broom (Brachypodium)
Colonies of the Small Skipper can be found where grasses are allowed to grow tall and lush. Habitats include disused railway lines, unimproved rough grassland and verges. Colonies can occur on very small patches of suitable habitat such as a roadside and railway verges.
Resident in Warwickshire.
Find out more about the Small Skipper online at the following links;
www.britishbutterflies.co.uk
www.butterfly-conservation.org
www.ukbutterflies.co.uk
A photographic slideshow displaying various images of the Small Skipper is currently in development.
Details of how you can supply your own photographs for display here will be made available soon.
Flight Chart
The flight chart below is based on observations of the adult Small Skipper butterfly in Warwickshire between 2005 and 2008. Peak periods are shown in dark green.
Distribution Maps
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| 2011 (1yr) | 2010 (1yr) | 2000-09 (10yr) |
