Essex Skipper
Small Skipper
The Essex Skipper is found over a wide area of south-east England, particularly along the Thames estuary as far upstream as the eastern suburbs of London. These quick-flying butterflies occur in the same areas of long grass as the Small Skippers, including motorways verges and coastal embankments. They can also be found on grassy areas of heath and downland, and along forestry rides or on farms.
The Lulworth Skipper is a little dull to look at and could be confused with the Small Skipper. It rests in the typical Skipper attitude, and is fond of wild flowers such as restharrow, Cow Parsley, Ragwort, Marjoram and Thistles. Like other Skippers, it is a powerful flyer. There is one generation a year; between July and August with each butterfly living for about three weeks
The largest of the British Skippers is found throughout England, often in the company of Small and Essex Skippers. Large Skippers are most likely to be seen from early June to Mid-July in grassy areas such as meadows, hillsides, paths and clearings in woods and along coastal cliffs.
Lulworth Skipper
Large Skipper
Hesperiidae- Skippers
These charismatic insects, whose lively flight, flitting from grass stem to grass stem, in order to chase away potential competition, has given this family of butterflies their name of 'Skippers'.
Small and agile, this speedy group of butterflies are unlike any other family found in Britain, often mistaken as moths during flight.
Most of the caterpillars in this family, feed mainly on grasses.
The Chequered Skipper became extinct in England in 1975, just 177 years after it was discovered in Bedfordshire. It now surives in Britain only in small populations in thr western scottish highlands, and is protected by the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act.
Chequered Skipper
These active little butterflies are found on open chalk grassland containing a mixture of wild flowers and grasses. The caterpillars eat sheep's-fescue grass and tufted hair-grass. The butterflies feed on flowers growing low down, such as stemless and carline thistles, hawkbits and clovers.
Silver-spotted Skipper
This conspicuous and attractive little butterfly is easy to identify with its brown and white markings and grey(\(\(\(\(or 'grizzled') hairs. It basks in the sun with its wings spread out flat, but in dull weather the wings are firmly closed together over its back. In flight it is so swift and darting that it may be quite difficult to follow.
Grizzled Skipper
Despite the name, which reflects its dull colours, the Dingy Skipper has attractive mottled patterns on the wings, especially the border of grey hairs around the hind-wing. It is unique among British Skippers for two reasons: it is the only Skipper that is also found in Ireland, and it rests at night like a moth with the wings spread out flat.
Dingy Skipper
Small Skippers are alert little butterflies which live for about 20 days. They are difficult to follow in flight as they dart about at great speed. When they are resting, they sometimes hold their hind-wings slightly backwards- like a swing-wing aircraft- and sometimes incline their fore-wings upwards.
The attitudes are unmistakable characteristics of the Skippers.
