The Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris butterfly

Butterfly

A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...

 of the Hesperiidae family.

Appearance, behaviour and distribution

It has a rusty orange colour to the wings, upper body and the tips of the antennae. The body is silvery white below and it has a wingspan of 25–30 mm. This butterfly is very similar in appearance to the Essex Skipper

Essex Skipper

The Essex Skipper is a butterfly of the Hesperiidae family. In North America, it is known as the European Skipper....

 Thymelicus lineola. In the Small Skipper, the undersides of the tips of the antennae are yellow orange, whereas they are black in the Essex Skipper. The black area on the lower edge of the upper wings also differs. Like the other orange 'grass skippers' the male has a distinctive black stripe made up of scent scales. This butterfly's range includes southern Britain

Great Britain

Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

, much of Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

, north Africa

Africa

Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

 and the Middle East

Middle East

The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...

, typically occurring where grass has grown tall.

Lifecycle and foodplants

Eggs are laid loosely inside grass sheathes of the caterpillar

Caterpillar

Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...

s foodplants from July to August. The newly hatched caterpillars eat their own eggshell before entering hibernation individually in a protective cocoon of a grass sheath sealed with silk

Silk

Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...

. In the spring the caterpiller begins feeding. The favoured food plant is Yorkshire Fog

Yorkshire Fog

Yorkshire Fog or Velvet Grass, Holcus lanatus, is a perennial grass in the Poaceae Family. 'Lanatus' is latin for 'wooly' which describes the plant's hairy texture....

 Holcus lanatus, although other recorded foodplants include Timothy

Timothy-grass

Timothy-grass , is an abundant perennial grass native to most of Europe except for the Mediterranean region. It grows to 50–150 cm tall, with leaves up to 45 cm long and 1 cm broad. The flowerhead is 7–15 cm long and 8–10 mm broad, with densely packed spikelets...

 Phleum pratense, Creeping Soft Grass

Creeping Soft Grass

Creeping Soft Grass or Creeping Velvet Grass. Holcus mollis, is a species of grass, native to Europe and western Asia.- Characteristics :...

 Holcus mollis, False Brome

False Brome

-Introduction:False Brome, Slender False Brome or Wood False Brome, Brachypodium sylvaticum, is a perennial grass native to Europe, Asia and north Africa....

 Brachypodium sylvaticum, Meadow Foxtail

Meadow Foxtail

Alopecurus pratensis, known as the Meadow Foxtail or the Field Meadow Foxtail, is a perennial grass, belonging to the grass family . It is native to Europe and Asia....

 Alopecurus pratensis and Cock's foot Dactylis glomerata. The caterpillars pupate near the base of the foodplant in June with the first adults on the wing at the end of June, a week or two before the first Essex Skippers.They are strongly attracted to purple flowers such as Thistles and Knapweeds.