LARGE SKIPPER

The 'Large Skipper' ('''Ochlodes sylvanus''') is a butterfly of the Hesperiidae family. It was long known as ''Ochlodes venata'', but this is a Far Eastern relative which does not occur in Europe.

Contents

Taxonomy

Appearance, behaviour and distribution

Life Cycle and foodplants

References and external links

Taxonomy

There is some dispute whether this species should be correctly named ''O. sylvanus'' (Esper) or ''O. venata faunus'' (Turanti).

Appearance, behaviour and distribution

This butterfly's range extends throughout Europe to northern Asia, China and Japan. In the British Isles it occurs in England, Wales, and south western Scotland. Although called 'Large' this is still a relatively small butterfly and not much larger than either the Small or Essex Skippers. The faint chequered pattern on both the upperside and underside help to distinguish the Large Skipper from these two orange Skippers. It can be found anywhere where wild grasses are allowed to grow tall. Hedgerows, woodland clearings and edges are favourites. An active little butterfly in sunny weather it is attracted to various flowers but has a distinct liking for Bramble flowers

Life Cycle and foodplants

Eggs are laid singly on the underside of foodplant leaves and hatch after about two weeks. They are normally laid on Cocks-foot ''Dactylis glomerata'' but they will occasionally use Purple Moor-grass ''Molinia caerulea'', False Brome ''Brachypodium sylvaticum'', Tor-grass ''B. pinnatum'' and Wood Small-reed ''Calamagrostis epigejos''. On hatching the larvae construct a shelter in the usual skipper method of curling a leaf up with silk and begins to feed. It hibernates as a half grown larvae and emerges in the spring to continue feeding and growing. The caterpillar has a large blackish-brown head with a dark line down its back and a yellow stripe along each side. Pupation lasts about three weeks during May and June and the adults are present from June to August. It is the first of the 'grass skippers' to emerge in the UK. In northern Europe the butterflies have a single brood, but in the south they may have up to three broods.

References and external links

★ Large Skipper page from Derbyshire butterflies

★ Large Skipper page from UK Butterflies

★ Large Skipper page from Natural History Collections of the University of Edinburgh

★ Large Skipper page from Butterfly Conservation

★ Jim Asher et al ''The Millennium Atlas of Butterflies of Britain and Ireland'' Oxford university Press