Observation - Silver-spotted Skipper - male - UK and Ireland. Silver-Spotted Skipper Silver-spotted skippers( Epargyreus clarus ) are without a doubt the single most widely seen butterfly around the Midwest. Hesperia comma . They are the most recognized skipper in North America. According to Met Office data, average UK temperatures increased by 0.6°C between 1870 and 1970, and since then have increased even more rapidly, going up by 1.5°C in the last 40 years. Home / Our science / Data / UK Species Hesperia comma (Linnaeus, 1758) - Silver spotted skipper Primary navigation Wingspan: Male 29-34mm : Female 32-37mm Worldwide Distribution: Europe:N.W Africa:Temperate Asia:N America. When I photographed these butterflies there were no less than 20 or 30 of them nectaring at the zinnias. Alternative Names: Common Branded Skipper : Holarctic Grass Skipper : USA-Not to be confused with the USA name for a Silver-spotted Skipper which is Epargyreus clarus. The most moth-like and primitive of all the families of butterflies. At most sites the populations are restricted to a limited area, typically on the upper slopes of south or east facing hillsides. Silver-spotted Skipper Hesperia comma (Linnaeus, 1758) UKMoths doesn't currently feature butterflies. We have lots of Large Skippers there but a volunteer took this photo for me and was sure it was Silver-spotted. Building a Community of Responsible Butterfly Enthusiasts in Britain & Ireland. Description: I saw a number of these but they were generally moving around very quickly and it was not until I came across this specimen which appeared to be sunning itself on the path that I was able to get a decent photo. As well as the commoner Skippers, there is a colony of (reintroduced) Silver-spotted Skippers. Our work parties will continue to take place on the second Sunday of every month, so in the coming winter the dates will be: The male can be identified by a black sex band. Severe decline in UK during 20th Century – due to agricultural intensification, decline of extensive grazing on chalk downs and myxomatosis. Davies, Z. G., Wilson, R. J., Brereton, T. M., & Thomas, C. D. (2005). UKMoths is built, run and maintained by Ian Kimber, with thanks to the many kind contributors who provide photos and information. Silver spotted skipper butterfly (Hesperia comma) resting on a shrub in chalk downland habitat at Broughton Down, Hampshire, UK Silver-spotted Skipper … The status of the silver-spotted skipper Hesperia comma in South-East England 2000-2019. Silver Spotted Skipper Male Silver Spotted Skipper. Distribution Map for: Silver-spotted Skipper. The males are vicious little blighters too. “The silver spotted skipper is a late-emerging butterfly and comes out by the middle of July. Skipper butterfly identification is a challenge. Silver-spotted Skipper. UK Butterflies. About UKMoths. When not eating, caterpillars stay hidden… Winter Work Parties. It was recorded on a heathland site in July. Butterfly Conservation, fact sheet Silver spotted skipper. Silver-spotted Skipper Aston Rowant I took the chance to team up with Lloyd Evans (who I met at Upton Warren) for a trip down the M40 to see one of the last butterflies to emerge in the calendar year which was the Silver-spotted Skipper. Welcome to the Sussex Branch of Butterfly Conservation. Flight Period Silver spotted skipper-Hesperia comma Thermophilic species - at northern limit of range in South East of England Breeding habitat in UK is short-turfed calcareous grassland with Festuca ovina. Following severe declines during the early 20 th century, three distribution surveys All three of our most common Skipper butterflies are small, similarly coloured and rather flighty, in fact the Essex Skipper and Small Skipper look so alike that the Essex Skipper was only recognised as a separate butterfly species in 1889. Skippers are sun loving and mostly found in very open areas of sunny woodland drives, waste ground, and down lands. A great resource to try is UKButterflies. Wing span: 1 3/4 to 2 5/8 inches Caterpillar hosts plants: woody and herbaceous legumes, including: black locust, Robinia; false indigo, Amorpha; honey locust, Gleditsia Adult food: Description The distinctive underwings are the best way to identify this Skipper: they are Olive-Green and marked with conspicuous silver patches. A male and a female Silver-spotted Skipper The following text has been copied from The Butterflies of Sussex: “The upper surface of the Silver-spotted Skipper’s triangular wings is a mix of burnt orange and chocolate-brown, studded with small patches of pale yellow. During the last century, many species of butterfly became increasingly rare or were lost from entire regions of north-west Europe (Heath et al., 1984, van Swaay and Warren, 1999, Asher et al., 2001).One such species, the silver-spotted skipper Hesperia comma L., was reduced to fewer than 70 populations in the UK by 1982. - UK and Ireland. The silver-spotted skipper is a rare butterfly restricted to short-turfed chalk grassland in the UK, where it is at the northern limit of its range. The Silver-spotted Skipper is a species of butterfly belonging to the ‘skipper’ group that, according to the scientists, are intermediate between the butterflies and the moths. Their wings are golden and bronze and the underside is spangled with shining silver panels. Wednesday, 12 August 2020. Published by Oxford University Press London: Humphrey Milford in 1939. A sighting at Bacombe Warren in 2018 was the first there for many ... Silver-spotted Skipper Species Champion Upper Thames Branch, Butterfly Conservation. Hosting on legumes, including locust, wisteria, and false indigo, the caterpillars create nests out of a leaf or several leaves. Silver-spotted skippers have a larger wingspan when summers are warmer. A regular look at the wildlife that I come across in Calderdale and days out around the UK.Most observations are from the house and gardens Vis mig records are within 500m of the house.Keep it Local. Skippers Hesperiidae. On Silver-spotted Skipper sites extensive areas of bare ground are vital, and the sward is typically pock-marked with myriads of small bare patches exposed by rabbit excavations. Marbled Whites, Meadow Browns and Brown Argus as well as chalk grassland moths. They are widely scattered throughout the United States, and some parts of the neighboring countries. It then hangs on until early September.” Word had travelled – as had the butterfly fans. Silver-spotted skipper Epargyreus clarus. Silver-spotted Skippers close Butterfly season On Sunday I had a cracking morning down with Lloyd in Oxfordshire observing which will probably be my last species of 2020. It’s one of our smallest butterflies and it gymnastically zips, twists and flips around the downland turf at incredible speeds. Neil Hulme will be leading winter work parties at Rowland Wood and Park Corner Heath as ususal this season. Silver Spotted Skipper butterflies (Epargyreus clarus) are found in all 48 mainland states except possibly Utah, Nevada, and Idaho. Your photographs . Key Species: Marbled White, Common Blue, Chalkhill Blue, Brown Argus, Adonis Blue, Silver-spotted Skipper Observation - Large or Silver-Spotted Skipper? a great underside pair from royston 1941 & 45. silver-spotted skipper. They are usually found in … This area is kept short to allow a carpet of wildflowers to flourish amongst the grasses – it provides the ideal habitat for invertebrate species including the rare silver-spotted skipper. datasets have provided data to the NBN Atlas for this species.. Browse the list of datasets and find organisations you can join if you are interested in participating in a survey for species like Hesperia comma (Linnaeus, 1758) The silver-spotted skipper qualifies for all levels of the podium. They are small, very active insects, with broad hairy bodies. “This is the nearest silver spotted skipper to Cornwall. Hesperia comma, the silver-spotted skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae.It is also known as the common branded skipper or Holarctic grass skipper in North America, where the butterfly Epargyreus clarus, a spread-winged skipper, also has the common name of "silver-spotted skipper". Wing width ranges from 1 3/4 to 2 5/8 inches. The upperwings are gold and brown. Silver-spotted Skipper Hesperia comma. " Silver-spotted Skipper from Pages 306-309 of A Butterfly Book for the Pocket by Edmund Sandars. David Allen and his wife had driven against the Bank Holiday traffic from Torpoint in Cornwall. The re-expansion and improving status of the silver-spotted skipper butterfly The Silver-spotted Skipper Butterfly Hesperia comma is a rarity in the UK where it favours the southern-facing slopes of chalk downlands. The Silver-spotted Skipper is a medium sized butterfly with a wingspan of 37 to 45mm. It is becoming a quite rare species, confined to only about 20 sites on the warm southern downs. UK Distribution: A rare skipper than can only be found on chalk downlands in Southern England. Natural England Commissioned Reports, In press. Beacon Hill, Ellesborough (the northernmost strong colony in the UK) and increasing numbers at the Grangelands reserve. 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