Silver-spotted Skipper Butterfly - Hesperia comma

Phylum: Arthropoda - Class: Insecta - Order: Lepidoptera - Family: Hesperiidae

The Silver-spotted Skipper, a butterfly of chalk downland, is readily distinguished from other skipper species found in the same kinds of habitats.

Description

This attractive golden skipper has siverish-white spots on the undersides of its hindwings. Males have a dark line of scent scales, known as sex brands, on their forewings whereas females (shown here) do not. Males have a typical wingspan of 31 mm while the females are slightly larger at typically 35 mm wingspan.

Distribution

In Britain the Silver-spotted Skipper is a rare sight. It is found mainly in south-east and central-southern England with one or two isolated colonies further north. This species is not reported as breeding in Ireland, Wales or Scotland. This skipper butterfly is more common and widely distributed on mainland Europe, northern Africa and parts of Asia including China. A subspecies is recorded in the USA and in parts of southern Canada.

Habitat

This little butterfly is seen on the wing on warm sunny days, when it favours short-cropped chalk grassland.

Lifecycle

The main larval foodplant of the Silver-spotted Skipper is the grass species Sheep's Fescue Festuca ovina. There is just a single generation per year. Overwintering at the egg stage, the greenish-yellow caterpillars can be found from March through to July, while winged adults emerge between mid July and early September,

Studying butterflies and moths...

Acknowledgements

This page includes pictures kindly contributed by Betty and Tony Rackham.