Small Skipper

Hoge Kempen, National Park, Belgium (July, 2014).
Skippers have the antennae clubs hooked backward like a crochet hook. They also have stocky bodies and large compound eyes, with stronger wing muscles in the plump thorax. Their wings are usually small in proportion to their bodies. When at rest, skippers keep their wings usually angled upwards or spread out, and only rarely fold them up completely.

comments (6)

NattyOne

Lion

Hi Patamarazul, I think that in the normal course of events this identification should be changed to Thymelicus sylvestris, for the Small Skipper as the Lulworth Skipper has a very small distribution in SW England. However I think that the black line that I can see would identify it as a Large Skipper which would be Ochlodes sylvanus.
I hope that you think this helps. Cheers, David Posted 4 years ago
1. Patomarazul
  
  Lion
  
  Hello NattyOne, to be honest I am not an expert so I took the species from a guidebook for species in Belgium. Among the ones shown in the book the most similar to me was the Small Skipper but is possible that the guide does not contain all possible species for this area. Ochlodes sylvanus is also found here. However I am not so sure is not Thymelicus because to me, when I look more pictures online the pattern on the top wings is more alike to Thymelicus than to Ochlodes. I am not sure that is best to change it to Ochlodes, sorry and thank you for your input :-) Posted 4 years ago, modified 4 years ago
2. 1. Patomarazul
    
    Lion
    
    What is possible is that is not Thymelicus acteon but is Thymelicus lineola or silvestris. What do you think? the top was smooth orange without dots pattern like in Ochlodes. See a link here:
    https://projects.biodiversity.be/lepidoptera/species/4966/
    https://projects.biodiversity.be/lepidoptera/species/4966/
    I think I will remove it from the sp acteon indeed.
    This link is even better, let me know what you think:
    http://westpalbutterflies.blogspot.com/2016/11/orange-hesperids-in-nw-europe.html
    
    I add it as T. silvestris as this looks most alike to me. Posted 4 years ago, modified 4 years ago
  2. 1. NattyOne
      
      Lion
      
      Hi there, I would agree with you there as I think that it is the small skipper and that the antenna is probably the decider. So I'd say yes to T. sylvestris. Cheers, David Posted 4 years ago
    2. 1. Patomarazul
        
        Lion
        
        Many thanks for your help in correcting this ID! :-) Posted 4 years ago
      2. NattyOne
        
        Lion
        
        You're very welcome - hope we've got it right now. Cheers Posted 4 years ago