Small
Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris)
T. sylvestris typically inhabits rough
grassland, where tall grasses can be found, and may occur on roadside verges,
beside hedgerows, on overgrown downland, in woodland clearings and along
woodland rides. It is often found basking on vegetation, or making its short, fast, buzzing flights amongst tall grass stems.
Despite
its vernacular name, four other skipper species found in the British Isles are
the same size or smaller than T.
sylvestris. The Essex Skipper, Thymelicus lineola, and T. sylvestris are often mistaken for
each other. They can be distinguished by the colour of the underside of the tips of the
antennae. In T. lineola, this area is
black and in T. sylvestris it is
brown (as shown above). This holds true for both sexes. Males can also be distinguished by the
sex brand found on the upperside of their forewings. The sex brand of a male T. lineola is relatively short when
compared with that of a male T.
sylvestris. The sex brand of T.
lineola also runs parallel with the leading edge of the forewing, but at an
angle in the male of T. sylvestris.
The
adults are on the wing in June, through July, and into August.
