at Marsh Lane

World-wide there are more than 3500 recognised of Skipper and many look frustratingly alike. At Marsh Lane we have only three species of Skipper currently breeding – Large, Small and Essex – but even these three can be difficult to separate. It doesn’t help that the three can be on the wing at the same time, and that they share the same habitats. But with a bit of patience it’s possible to differentiate them, and then enjoy watching these robust little creatures perform the short, darting flights from which they get their name. These are butterflies of high summer, on the wing June, July and August. is the first to emerge, usually around the beginning of June, with the following a week or two later, and then Essex showing around the second week in July.

Large Skipper - sylvanus This species is expanding its range in Britain, though colonies continue to be lost within its range due to habitat loss. Found anywhere where wild grasses are allowed to grow tall. It is attracted to various flowers but has a distinct liking for bramble flowers. The presence of a faint chequered pattern on both sides of the wings distinguishes this species from the Small and Essex Skippers. The name Large Skipper belies the fact that the has a wing-span of only around 33mm (under ¾ of an inch), and is only marginally bigger that the other two Skippers that come in at around 30mm.

A male Large Skipper is shown on the left above (female right). The bold, black, diagonal stripe on the wing of the male is a sex brand which is composed of hundreds of (androconial) scales. These desseminate scent (pheromones) that can be detected by females during courtship. The sex brand is also present in the males of the Small and , but, as we’ll see, the shape, size and position of the sex brand differs in each species so giving another clue to identification.

Small Skipper - sylvestris

A male Small Skipper (above). The sex brand is not as bold, and the wings are plainer – lacking the chequered patterning of the Large Skipper. Male and female Small Skippers (opposite). The male is distinguished from the female by the sex brand on its forewings,

A common butterfly living in self-contained colonies in open uncut grassland. Widespread in southern and central England and throughout Wales, with its range steadily extending northwards. They are strongly attracted to purple flowers such as thistles and knapweeds for nectar.

Essex Skipper - Thymelicus lineola A male Essex Skipper (opposite). Very similar to the Small Skipper. The sex brand is very faint and is shorter, straighter and more parallel to the wing’s edge than on both Large and Small Skippers. The Essex Skipper has always been under- recorded due to its similarity to the Small Skipper, so its distribution, particularly in former times, is poorly understood. In Britain it was first discovered in 1888 in Essex, and for many years it was thought to be restricted to south-east England. Nectars on purple flowers such as thistle.

The most reliable method of separating adult Essex Skippers from Small Skippers is to look head on at the antennal tips. This area will be black on Essex and orange or brown on Small Skipper.

On the British mainland the Essex Skipper is generally found south of a line between Dorset and North Lincolnshire. However, it is currently expanding its range northwards and westwards. It is thought that the steep, grass-covered embankments found on motorways and major trunk roads are helping the expansion by acting as corridors to new locations.

Large and Small Skippers are well distributed around Marsh Lane reserve. Essex Skipper was previously only recorded along the Concrete Road (where the Road runs alongside the dual carriageway). However, in 2014 Essex was also recorded at the Old Road bale store (the aero modellers car park) and in the long grasses between the Reserve car park and the Causeway. In 2015 its expansion at Marsh Lane continued and it could be observed in most parts of the Reserve.