Silver-spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma)

Family: Hesperiidae Checklist: 57.008

 
Description
Wing span: 30-36mm. This attractively-marked Skipper is quite rare, but has been spreading to new sites in recent years. The silvery blotches on the underwings are diagnostic. It is restricted to chalk grassland in southern England, where the turf is short and there are patches of bare ground.
 
Images (click to enlarge)
Silver-spotted Skipper ♂ © David Hastings
Silver-spotted Skipper ♂ underside © David Hastings
Silver-spotted Skipper ♀ © David Hastings
Silver-spotted Skipper ♀ underside © David Hastings
Male Male underside Female Female underside
 
Life Cycle
Adults are usually on the wing from the middle of July to the beginning of September. The species over-winters as an ovum.
 
Larval Foodplants
The sole larval food-plant is Sheep's-fescue (Festuca ovina).
 
Nectar Sources
Adults often feed on purple flowers such as Dwarf Thistle and Scabious.
 
UK Conservation Status
Vulnerable
 
Earliest UTB first sighting (since 2004) : 9th July
Mean UTB first sighting (since 2004) : 20th July
 
Species Champion
Tom Dunbar
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Reports
 
Distribution and Sites
 

Key
1 sighting 2-9 max seen 10+ max seen
This species is a habitat specialist. It can be found at these sites:
Buckinghamshire
Buttler's Hanging
Grangelands
Oxfordshire
Aston Rowant NNR
Watlington Hill

 
Related Species
All Species