Essex Skipper
Flight period: late June to mid August.
The Essex Skipper is a small butterfly with a darting flight. It has bright orange-brown wings which are held with the forewings angled above the hind wings. The males have a thin black scent brand line running through the centre of the forewing and parallel to the leading edge. The Small Skipper appears very similar but it lacks the black tips to the antenna and it has a longer scent brand which is angled to the edge of the forewing.
Since the Essex Skipper and the Small Skipper closely resemble each other and are often found in the same company, the Essex Skipper has been overlooked both in terms of recording and ecological study and it was the last UK resident species to be described (in 1889).
The Essex Skipper can be found in tall, dry grasslands in open sunny situations, especially roadside verges, woodland rides and acid grasslands as well as coastal marshes.
The distribution of the Essex Skipper in the UK has more than doubled in the last few decades. It is a widespread species in southern and central England but not in the far south-west.
Date: 3rd July 2023
Location: Durlston Country Park, Swanage, Dorset
The Essex Skipper is a small butterfly with a darting flight. It has bright orange-brown wings which are held with the forewings angled above the hind wings. The males have a thin black scent brand line running through the centre of the forewing and parallel to the leading edge. The Small Skipper appears very similar but it lacks the black tips to the antenna and it has a longer scent brand which is angled to the edge of the forewing.
Since the Essex Skipper and the Small Skipper closely resemble each other and are often found in the same company, the Essex Skipper has been overlooked both in terms of recording and ecological study and it was the last UK resident species to be described (in 1889).
The Essex Skipper can be found in tall, dry grasslands in open sunny situations, especially roadside verges, woodland rides and acid grasslands as well as coastal marshes.
The distribution of the Essex Skipper in the UK has more than doubled in the last few decades. It is a widespread species in southern and central England but not in the far south-west.
Date: 3rd July 2023
Location: Durlston Country Park, Swanage, Dorset
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