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Hesperia comma

Silver Spotted Skipper

Field Notes

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High Atlas, Morocco, July 2005

f. benuncus from N Africa is striking. The underside white spots link up.

 

Valais, Switzerland, July 2005

 

Silver Spotted Skipper
Hesperia comma

Distribution: Most of Europe, sporadic in S Spain and S Italy. Absent from most of northern Scandinavia and only present on chalk hills in S England (although expanding rapidly over the past few years (2006). North Africa.

Identification: It resembles the other "Golden" Skippers but is readily distinguished by the bright white spots on the underside usually on a green ground colour. See also the Identification Page for Golden Skippers.

Flight time: Summer - July and August, worn in September.

Habitat: Hills and mountains over grassy flowery places. In the UK (and perhaps elsewhere) strictly a calcareous butterfly but more generally any open grassy place can be accepted. Often at high levels in the Alps, to over 2000m. Larvae take Festuca ovina.

Behaviour: As with most skippers it flies rapidly low over the ground. Frequently visits flowers for nectar.

 

Valais, Switzerland, July 2005

 

Valais, Switzerland, July 2005

 

Valais, Switzerland, July 2004

 

S Pyrenees, Spain, August 2003

Female

 

S Pyrenees, Spain, August 2003

Upperside of butterfly above

 

Catalonia, Spain, August 2003

Male showing bold sex brand

 

Valais, Switzerland, July 2003

 


 

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