Butterflies
Skippers
Whites
Hairstreaks
Blues and Coppers
Admirals
Vannesids
Fritallaries
Browns
Wingspan 27 mm
Butterfly Survey 1976-2025
Essex Skipper
Essex Skipper Thymelcius lineola
Essex skipper showing antennae images not to scale
Wingspan 27 mm
The only practical visual distinguishing feature between the Essex Skipper and the Small Skipper is the colouring and shape on the underside of the antennae tips and fainter scent spots.
Habit: flies very low among rough uncultivated grasses and briars with whirring (moth like) movement. Rests fairly frequently with both sets of wings set at different angles (as a flight on a dart). Can easily be confused with the Small Skipper but is on the wing later when there is a noticeable decline in the Small Skipper, which could be a better indicator.
Single brooded, overwinters as an egg, slim green larvae, butterfly emerges in summer (distinct from the small skipper that overwinters as a larvae)
Larval Foodplant: grasses
WH - White Hill, Shoreham. BR - Bromley wider BC - Bromley Common, Ha - Hayes --BN - Bromley North, Ey - Eynsford, Orp Orpington, HE - High Elms Lull - Lullingstone Bic - Bickley
Status: not under threat, except from urban expansion, leisure grazing, the usual over use of pesticides and inept management and mono -culture grassland in parks and public spaces. Present in Shoreham, Eynsford, Ruxley, Bromley.
© Rodney Compton