Small Skipper
Thymelicus sylvestris

 
Wingspan: 27-34mm

Description
Almost identical to Essex Skipper, the Small Skipper has dull brown/orange tips to the antennae while the Essex Skipper has distinctive glossy black tips to its antennae. Small Skippers are also slightly more orange in appearance. Like other skippers they spend much of their time basking on grass stems.

Flight Period
The single flight period is normally from early June until mid/late August.

Larval Food plants
Yorkshire-fog (Holcus lanatus)
Cock's-foot (Dactylis glomerata)
False Broom (Brachypodium)
Creeping Soft-grass (Holcus molli)
Meadow Foxtail (Alopecurus pratensis)
Timothy (Phleum pratense)

Habitat Requirements
Unimproved, uncut grasslands in open sunny locations. Roadside verges and disused railways lines are also frequented where the larval food plant is abundant.

Wiltshire Status
Resident, common/frequent and widespread, currently declining in abundance.

Wiltshire Sites
Most areas of tall, uncut grassland with nectar sources.

Earliest sightings

Earliest county record 29 May 2008 Breach Hill, ATE SP(W) (Tim P Mann).

11 June 2010 Liddington near Swindon
16 June 2009 Chittoe
29 May 2008 ATE SP(W)
1 June 2007 Boscombe Down

 

Essex Skipper
Thymelicus lineola

Description
Wingspan: 26-30mm

Very similar to the Small Skipper, the Essex Skipper can be identified by its all black underside antennae tips. They both share the same habitats and are on the wing at similar times. The male can be separated from the female by the black sex brand on its upper forewings, which is a short line of specialised scent scales, parallel to the wing edge. Like other skippers they spend much of their time basking on grass stems.
 

Flight Period
The single flight period is from mid-June until end of August.

Larval Food plants
Cock's-foot (Dactylis glomerata) is the main food plant
May use other grasses such as Yorkshire fog, Creeping Soft-grass, Common Couch, Timothy and Tor-grass

Habitat Requirements
Unimproved grasslands in open sunny locations. Such as roadside verges and disused railways lines where the larval food plant is abundant.

Wiltshire Status
Resident, frequent/common, becoming more widespread in west and south-west in recent years.

Wiltshire Sites
Most tall, uncut grassland with nectar sources.

Earliest sightings
Earliest county record 3 June 2007 Haydown Hill (John Moon).
 

12 June 2010 Cherhill Down
29 June 2009 Everleigh
9 June 2008 Summer Down, ATE SP(W)
3 June 2007 Haydown Hill

Latest sightings
Latest county record 11 Sept 2008 Barbury Castle (Helen Senior).
 

Dingy Skipper
Erynnis tages

Description
Wingspan 27-34mm

The Dingy Skipper is a small butterfly and a fast flier, which can make it difficult to follow as it flies close to the ground. The butterfly is Grey / Brown in colour but on a freshly emerged specimen an intricate wing pattern can be observed. This pattern fades over time and may explain its name.
It likes to bask in the sun and can often be found on bare earth or a stone that has been warmed by the sun. The butterflies will nectar on Bird's-foot Trefoil, Horseshoe Vetch, Buttercup's and Hawkweeds. When resting, it wraps it wings around a flower head or stem in a moth like pose. Photo

Flight Period
The normal flight period is from mid-May until late June, but in early seasons it can be seen in Wiltshire from mid-April. In hot summers there is sometimes a partial second generation in August.

Larval Food plants
Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus)
Greater Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus pedunculatus)
Horseshoe Vetch (Hippocrepis comosa)

Habitat
This butterfly prefers warm open areas such as south-facing chalk downland, railway embankments and abandoned quarries. It can also be found in a few woodland clearings and rides.
Status
UK BAP Wilts BAP Declining
Local, frequent, seldom common

Wiltshire Sites
North
West Yatton Down
Pewsey Downs NNR
Calstone Downs
South
Most grazed grasslands
Boscombe Railway Cutting

Earliest sightings
County Record 11 April 1893 (Marlborough College Nat. Hist. Soc.)

22 Apr 2010, Boscombe Down Railway Cutting
18 Apr 2009, Boscombe Down Railway Cutting
27 Apr 2008, West Yatton Down
14 Apr 2007, Cotley Hill & West Yatton Down
 

Grizzled Skipper
Pyrgus malvae

Wingspan 23 - 29mm

Description

The Grizzled Skipper is the first of the skippers to emerge. The butterfly is dark brown above, fringed with white, with a checkerboard pattern of white spots. Like the other skippers, this butterfly is a fast flier which can be difficult to follow due to its ability to vanish during its erratic flight. Both sexes can be found basking in the sun perched on bare earth or stones in a sheltered spot. It may occasionally nectar on spring flowers such as Buttercup or Bird’s-foot-trefoil.

Flight Period
Normally from mid-April until the end of June.

Larval Food plants
Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vesca)
Barren Strawberry (Potentilla sterilis))
Creeping Cinquefoil (Potentilla reptans)
Tormentil (Potentilla erecta)
Bramble (Rubus fruticosus)
Agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria
Dog-rose (Rosa canina)
Salad Burnet (Sanguisorba minor)
Wood Avens (Geum urbanum)

Habitat Requirements
This butterfly occurs in a variety of habitats where warmth and shelter is available along with its larval food plant. Habitats including chalk downland, disused railway lines, woodland rides and woodland edges, unimproved grassland and waste ground. These habitats should also provide patches of bare ground where it can bask.

Status
UK BAP species
Wilts BAP species
Resident.
Widespread but scarce and local, declining both in abundance and distribution (north and west).Wiltshire Sites
Bentley Wood

Earliest sightings
Earliest county record 31 March 2003 Boscombe Down (Tony Horner)
 

19 April 2010 Porton Down
13 Apr 2009 Somerford Common & Waterhay, CWP.
22 Apr 2008 Middleton Down
6 Apr 2007 Middleton Down

Latest county record, 15 July 1986 Picket Wood (Mike Fuller).
A singleton seen in a wood near Trowbridge on 1 Aug 1941 (Bowmont Weddell) was probably of a very rare partial 2nd generation
 

 Silver-spotted Skipper
 Hesperia comma

Wingspan 30 -36 mm

Description

The distinctive underwings are the best way to identify this Skipper, they are Olive-Green and marked with conspicious silver patches. The upperwings are gold and brown. The male can be identified by a black sex band. 

Flight Period

Late July / Early August to Early September 

Larval Food Plants

Sheep's Fescue (Festuca ovina)

Habitat Requirements

Chalk Downland, South facing slopes.

Status

Resident: Restricted to a few south-east sites in the county.
 

Earliest Sightings

2nd  August  2011
27th July        2010
30th July        2009
23rd July        2008

Large Skipper

Ocholdes venata

Winspan 33 - 35mm

Description

This bright golden Skipper is larger than the other gold skippers, and can be seen a week or two earlier. The male can be distinguish from the female by the conspicuous black sex band on the forewing.

Flight Period

3rd week in May until late August

Larval food Plants

Various Grasses :including

Cock's-foot (Dactylis glomerata)
False Broom (Brachypodium)
Purple Moor grass (

Habitat Requirements

Grassland: South facing slopes
Roadside verges
Woodland Clearings, edges and glades

Status

Common and Widespread

Earliest sightings

2011:   24th May Salisbury Plain
2010:   17th May Bentley Wood
2009:   23rd May West Yatton Down
2008:   21st May Porton Down