Large Skipper

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Large Skipper

Male

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Superfamily:	Hesperioidea
Family:	Hesperiidae
Subfamily:	Hesperiinae
Genus:	Ochlodes
Species:	O. sylvanus

Binomial name

Ochlodes sylvanus
(Esper, 1777)

European part of range

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 occurs throughout Europe.

1 Taxonomy
2 Appearance, behaviour and distribution
3 Life Cycle and foodplants
4 References and external links
5 Images

[edit] Taxonomy

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

[edit] 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

[edit] 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 Cocksfoot 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.