Essex skipper (Thymelicus lineola)

Skipper butterflies, from the family Hesperiidae are sometimes mistaken for moths with their small heads and stout bodies but the vertical position of their forewings wings at rest and club-shaped antennae mark them as the former.

There are 8 species of Skippers in the UK, the Essex Skipper very closely resembling the Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris).

A clue to one of the differences is in the scientific name 'lieola. which means 'small line'. This refers to the scent marks on the forewings of the males. On males Small Skippers the scent marks often show an obvious kink which can be quite prominent. The mark crosses at least one of the veins and no longer runs purely parallel to them. On the Essex Skipper these marks are short and straight.

Another point of difference is the orange-coloured undersides of the tips of the antennae of the T.lineola, entirely black on T. sylvestris.

Flying from the end of June until the end of August, the Essex Skipper is widespread in south-east England and appears to be extending its range northwards. It can be found in tall, dry grassland, roadside verges and along woodland rides.