Male. Taken at Aston, Oxon., on July 1st 2023. (© David Hastings)
(1/640th sec at f13)

Male underside. Taken at Aston, Oxon., on July 1st 2023. (© David Hastings)
(1/640th sec at f11)

Female. Taken at Abingdon, Oxon., on July 4th 2017. (© David Hastings)
(1/320th sec at f13)

Description

Family: Hesperiidae

Wing span: 26 - 30 mm

The Essex Skipper forms discrete colonies that vary from a small number of individuals to several thousand. It is very similar in appearance to the Small Skipper and was not recognised as a separate species until 1889.

It is widespread in south-east England, and has been spreading north and westwards. It has also been found in Ireland and Scotland.

Essex Skippers live in a variety of habitats where there is long grass, including road verges, marshes, chalk grassland, waste ground and woodland clearings.

Adults are usually on the wing during July and August. The species over-winters as an ovum.

Larval foodplants are Cocks-foot, Creeping Soft-grass and probably other grasses.

Adults often visit Thistles and Knapweeds.

The male is distinguished from the female by the sex brand on its forewings, which is a short line of specialised scent scales. This species can be distinguished from the Small Skipper by the black undersides to its antennae (orange in the Small Skipper), and that the sex brand is short and doesn't cross a vein (it does in the Small). The female is harder to distinguish, but the dark marginal border on the fore wing is more diffuse and extends into the veins (it is well-defined in the Small).

Least Concern

Earliest UK sighting: 22nd June ; Latest UK sighting: 31st August

Sightings