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Text and photographs protected by Copyright © Adrian Hoskins 2007, and must not be published in part or in whole elsewhere without prior written permission from the author.
Butterflies of Britain & Europe
 
Silver-spotted Skipper
Hesperia comma LINNAEUS, 1758
Family - HESPERIIDAE
subfamily - HESPERIINAE
 
 introduction | habitats | lifecycle | adult behaviour
 
Silver-spotted Skipper Hesperia comma, male, Hampshire, England
 
Introduction
 
The Silver-spotted Skipper is widely distributed in Europe, but absent from northern Britain, lowland areas of Spain and Portugal, southern Italy, the Mediterranean islands, and the Balkans. Beyond Europe it occurs in the Atlas mountains of Morocco, and across Asia to Amurland. It is also widespread in Canada and the western USA, where it is known as the Holarctic Grass Skipper.
 
The upperside pattern is typical of Hesperiines throughout the world, but in Europe it cannot be confused with any other species except the Large Skipper Ochlodes venata, which is more brightly marked on the upperside, and lacks the distinctive silver spots on the underside hindwings of comma.
 
Silver-spotted Skipper Hesperia comma, Hampshire, England
 
Habitats
 
In Europe this butterfly can be found in a very wide range of grassy habitats, and even occurs high on mountains at altitudes of up to 2300m.
 
In Britain the butterfly was formerly found across most of southern and central England, but contracted it's range severely during the 20th century, largely as a result of the elimination of it's larval foodplant, sheep's fescue grass, from many former sites as a result of agricultural improvement, afforestation, and urbanisation. The spread of myxomatosis, which greatly reduced the populations of rabbits during the latter half of the 20th century also resulted in a mass of local extinctions, as sites on deeper soils quickly became overgrown with rank grasses.
 
Silver-spotted Skipper Hesperia comma, male, Hampshire, England
 
At it's sites in southern Britain the species is restricted to well drained and thinly soiled calcareous grasslands where sheep's fescue grass grows sparsely. Extensive areas of bare ground are a vital element - Silver-spotted Skipper sites are typified by the sward being pock-marked with myriads of small bare patches exposed by rabbit excavations.
 
Silver-spotted Skipper Hesperia comma, male, Hampshire, England
 
At most sites the populations are restricted to a limited area, typically on the upper slopes of south or east facing hillsides. However, at sites which are particularly exposed to the wind, or at higher altitudes, the populations tend to be limited to sheltered areas at the base of hills.
 
Silver-spotted Skipper Hesperia comma, male, Hampshire, England
 
Lifecycle
 
In Europe and most of North America the butterfly is single-brooded, but in Alaska the lifecycle takes 2 years to complete - the first winter spent as an egg, and the second as a fully grown caterpillar or chrysalis. In the hotter parts of the Mediterranean the species over-winters as a fully grown larva, amongst grass roots.
 
In Britain the butterflies emerge in mid-late July, and have a short flight period - no more than 2 or 3 weeks. At higher altitude sites such as Old Winchester Hill in Hampshire, the emergence time is generally about a week later than elsewhere.
 
Silver-spotted Skipper Hesperia comma, female ovipositing, Hampshire, England
 
When ovipositing females extend their abdomen forward and probe about for about 30 seconds until they locate a suitable blade of grass to lay on. The large straw-coloured eggs are laid singly, or occasionally in two's and three's, on the narrow leaf blades of sheep's fescue grass Festuca ovina. They are usually, but not always, laid on grasses at the edge of rabbit scrapes or other bare soil patches.
 
The larvae are fully developed within the eggs by early autumn, but do not hatch until the following March. They feed nocturnally on the fine tender leaf blades, sheltering by day in a flimsy silken tent spun at the base of a grass tuft. When fully grown they are dark green, with a black head, and very wrinkled in appearance.
 
The pupa has a dark brown abdomen, and blackish wing cases and head. It is formed within a cocoon of coarse silk, at the base of grass tufts. The butterfly develops very quickly, emerging after only about 7 days.
 
Silver-spotted Skipper Hesperia comma, female, Hampshire, England
 
Adult behaviour

 

Silver-spotted Skippers only fly on warm sunny days. They are then extremely active, having a very rapid darting flight, zig-zagging just above the surface of the ground, and are very difficult to follow with the eye.

 

In warm but hazy or lightly overcast conditions, they sometimes bask in rabbit scrapes, hoof prints, or on the leaves of sprawling brambles.

 

Silver-spotted Skipper Hesperia comma, male, Hampshire, England

 

Both sexes nectar avidly at low growing flowers including stemless thistle, carline thistle, eyebright, stonecrop, bird's foot trefoil, self heal, small scabious, lady's bedstraw, red clover, hawkbit, devil's bit scabious and autumn gentian. However, by far the most highly favoured nectar source is wild basil - in August 2007, at Broughton Down, I watched one particular male visit 17 different wild basil flowers in quick succession, while completely ignoring all other flower species.

 

Silver-spotted Skipper Hesperia comma, male, Hampshire, England

 

Males occupy loosely defined overlapping territories, where they fly continuously from flower to flower, stopping periodically to bask on patches of bare ground, or on low herbage. They fly up instantly to intercept and investigate almost any small, rapidly flying insect, including flies, small bees, moths and other butterflies, but completely ignore Burnet moths and larger butterflies.

 

During male / male encounters, the butterflies zigzag rapidly, close to the ground, and then spiral upwards in tight circles until the weaker male is ousted, whereupon the other male returns to within a few metres of it's original position.

 

When the sexes meet, the female is forced to land on the ground, usually in a tuft of grass, where she vibrates her wings rapidly. The male lands alongside her, and buzzes excitedly around her, showering her with pheromones from his androconial scales. The female then flies in a series of short hops, until she finds a comfortable spot to settle, and the male then settles by her side, curving his abdomen round until he engages her. He then slowly turns to face away from her, after which the pair remain stationary in copulation for about 2 hours.

 
                                                       
Almost every British and European species of butterfly is declining rapidly in numbers, due in most cases to loss or degradation of habitats.
 
You can help to reverse the decline by supporting conservation organisations which purchase and manage habitats as nature reserves, and which lobby government at local, national and international levels, often very successfully, to bring about changes in farming, forestry and urban development policies.
 
Please contact the conservation organisations for advice on how you can help protect British and European butterflies and their habitats. You may be able to offer practical help e.g. by monitoring butterfly populations or helping to manage nature reserves. Donations to these organisations enable them to employ ecologists and biologists. Even if you are unable to provide such help, merely having your name on the membership list can be a powerful tool for conservation organisations wishing to demonstrate the levels of support they have for their policies.

 

 
Text and images protected by Copyright © Adrian Hoskins 2007-2008, ( unless stated otherwise ) and must not be reproduced or published in part or in whole elsewhere in any form without written permission from Adrian Hoskins. Breach of copyright will be pursued by litigation.
 
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