The Wildlife of
Wallington

 
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Butterflies - The Small Skipper

First seen on Thursday 15th July 2021 at Wallington

Skippers are so named because of the way they skip between flowers. They are quite moth-like in appearance. In flight, the Small Skipper looks very similar to its cousin the Large Skipper. There is a minor size difference but when settled, you can the Small Skipper is also relatively plain, all over orange with dark edging, whereas the Large Skipper has subtly patterned wings.

The Small Skipper can be found all summer (June-August) flying on and in the grass in the meadows. They also love thistles. Male and female are similar, but the male has a long dark line on the wings (called a sex brand). You can see this in the photo below.