Essex Skipper Thymelicus lineola
All of the Skippers I have photographed on Cromwell have been Small Skippers, however there have been some with some quite dubious dark antennae
There is a clear North South demarcation for this species but it does appear to be spreading North and looking at the the NBN VC 63 Data care should be taken in identification with emphasis on antennal evidence without shadow or shade on the photographic image or good field work
Any reported / confirmed finds would be of interest to the reserve records
This species is very similar in appearance to the Small Skipper. The main distinguishing feature of the Essex Skipper is that the tips of its antennae are completely black, as if they have been dipped in ink. The male is distinguished from the female by the sex brand on its forewings, which is a short line of specialised scent scales.
As described above, the Essex Skipper needs to be separated from the more common Small Skipper by closely examining the tips of the antenna to check they are completely black. In the Small Skipper, the black is only on the dorsal side.
National Distribution Please Allow Time to Load .
VC 63 Distribution Please Allow Time to Load
