Despite its name, a freshly-emerged Dingy Skipper reveals a subtle pattern of browns and greys that is quite beautiful. However, this butterfly does live up to its name as scales are lost over time, resulting in a lacklustre and drab appearance. This is our most widely-distributed skipper, despite its decline due to changes in farming practice. Colonies can be found throughout the British Isles, including northern Scotland and Ireland where, although scarce, is found on outcrops of limestone. This butterfly’s strongholds, however, are in central and southern England. This butterfly lives in discrete colonies with little interchange between them. Subspecies: Erynnis tages tages The nominate subspecies was first defined in Linnaeus (1758) as shown here (type locality: Europe). The British population is represented by this subspecies, with the exception of the colonies found in the Burren in Clare, Ireland, where it is replaced by the subspecies baynesi.
Subspecies: Erynnis tages baynesi This subspecies was first defined in Huggins (1956). This subspecies, found in Ireland, is generally restricted to the Burren in Clare, although there are some records from South-east Galway. This subspecies differs from ssp. tages in having a darker ground colour coupled with paler, almost white, markings, giving an overall appearance that has a much greater contrast. Erynnis tages baynesiMale and female. Ground colour brownish-black, light markings very pale grey, often approaching white. Holotype male, "Burren, 29.v.56, H.C.Huggins."Allotype female, "Burren, 8.vi.56, H.C.Huggins."
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Male Underside
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Female
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Female Underside
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The butterfly is on the wing in May and June and, in favourable years, there may be a partial second brood. Subspecies: Erynnis tages tages 
Subspecies: Erynnis tages baynesi 
The chart(s) above have been correlated with the phenology plot below, taken from the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme. The blue line gives average counts over the full data set from 1976 to date, and the red line gives the average for the last year. 
The butterfly is found in warm open areas such as south-facing chalk and limestone downland, open hillsides, railway embankments, dunes, cliffs and abandoned quarries. It can also be found at the ends of woodland as well as in woodland clearings and rides.
The primary larval foodplant is Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus). Greater Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus pedunculatus) and Horseshoe Vetch (Hippocrepis comosa) are also used.
Adults feed primarily on Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), Bugle (Ajuga reptans), Buttercups (Ranunculus spp.), Hawkweeds (Hieracium/Hypochoeris), Ragged Robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi) and Vetches (Vicia spp.).
Like all skippers, the Dingy Skipper has an extremely fast flight that can be difficult to follow as it flits along, close to the ground. The butterfly is a warmth-loving species, and spends long periods basking on bare earth or a stone that has been baked by the sun. The butterfly prefers to nectar on yellow flowers and has a preference for flowers of Bird's-foot Trefoil, Horseshoe Vetch, Buttercup and Hawkweeds. In the late afternoon, the butterflies gather to roost on dead flowers or grass heads, where they take on a moth-like pose, with wings wrapped around the flower head. Subspecies: Erynnis tages tages
Subspecies: Erynnis tages baynesi
Description to be completed. Click here to see a full list of aberrations for this species. Unclassified Aberrations
Eggs are laid singly at the base of leaflets and are greenish-white when first laid, later changing to orange.
Eggs hatch after about a fortnight and the young larva immediately spins 2 or 3 leaflets together to form a protective tent from which it feeds. These leaflets are gradually eaten and the larva creates a new and larger tent as it grows. In August, after its 4th moult and when fully-grown, the larva builds a more-substantial tent, the hibernaculum, within which it hibernates.
The larva emerges from hibernation in April and, without further feeding, pupates within its hibernaculum.
No similar species found.
Click here to see the distribution of this species overlaid with specific site information. Alternatively, select one of the sites listed below. |
| Aberbargoed Grasslands, Aldbury Nowers, Alner's Gorse, Ardersier, Ardley Quarry, Arnside Knott, Aston Upthorpe Downs, Attenborough Nature Reserve, Aughinish Island, Badbury Rings, Ballard Down, Bannerdown, Banstead Downs, Banstead Woods, Barton Hills, Bishop Middleham Quarry, Bishops Itchington, Black Rock, Blue Lagoon, Botley Wood, Brackett's Coppice, Branscombe, Braunton Burrows, Brigstock, Brotheridge Green, Brown's Folly, Brown's Hill Quarry, Buckland Wood, Bunny's Hill, Caherconnell, Calstone Coombes, Cannock Chase, Carymoor Environmental Centre, Castle Eden Dene, Castle Hill NNR, Cerne Hill Giant, Chambers Farm Wood, Chawridge Bank, Clubmen's Down, College Lake, Common Hill, Coombe Bisset Down, Coombe Heath, Corfe Castle, Cother Wood, Cotley Hill, Crook Peak, Dean Hill (West), Deepdale, Denbies Hillside, Devil's Ditch, Dolebury Warren, Draycott Sleights, Duchie's Piece, Duncliffe Woods, Durlston Country Park, Durlston NNR, Earl's Hill, East Poldens Reserves, Ellerburn Bank, Eyarth Rocks, Farley Mount Country Park, Finnamore Lakes, Fontmell Down, Foulden Common, Gait Barrows, Goblin Combe, Grangelands, Granville, Greenham Common, Gurney Slade, Haldon Butterfly Walk, Hambledon Hill, Hartslock, Hod Hill, Hog Cliff Bottom, Holtspur Valley Reserves, Homefield Wood, Hutchinsons Bank, Ivinghoe, Jerry's Hole, Kemsing Downs, Ketton Quarry, Kingcombe Meadows, Kingcombe Stones, Lankham Bottom, Larden Chase, Lein of Garmouth, Levin Down, Llanymynech Rocks, Loggerheads Country Park, Long Knoll, Lydden Down, Lydlinch Common, Malling Down, Martin Down, Mere Down, Merthyr Mawr, Middleton Down, Mill Hill, Monk Wood, Mount Caburn, Murvagh, Mynydd Marian, Nairn Dunes, Narborough Reserve, Noar Hill, Old Winchester Hill, Orlestone Forest, Oxwich, Parc Penallta, Penhale Sands, Pewley Downs, Piddles Wood, Polhill Bank, Port O'Warren, Portland Tout Quarry, Portpatrick, Powerstock Common, Prestwood Picnic Site, Priddy Mineries, Quoditch Moor Nature Reserve, Ryton Woods Meadows, Salcey Forest, Sewell Cutting, Skerries Station, Sovell Down, Stockbridge Down, Stoke Camp, Stony Green Hill, Stubhampton Bottom, The Ercall, The Knapp and Papermill, Thurlbear Quarrylands, Tickenham Ridge, Toads Hole, Torr Works, Totternhoe Knolls and Quarry, Townsend Quarry, Tring Park, Tucking Mill, Twyford Wood, Twywell Hills and Dales, Ubley Warren, Walton Common, Warton Crag, Watlington Hill, Welsh Moor, Whipsnade, White Hill Reserve, White Sheet Hill, Whitehawk Hill, Whiteley Pastures, Yoesden Bank |
The Dingy Skipper is in decline and is therefore a priority species for conservation efforts From The State of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland and the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP) (2007 review).
The following links provide additional information on this butterfly.
The species description provided here has been derived from the author's own observations and the information contained in the following works:
- Asher (2001). Asher, J., Warren, M., Fox, R., Harding, P., Jeffcoate, G. and Jeffcoate, S.: The Millennium Atlas of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland. 2001.
- Fox (2006). Fox, R., Asher, J., Brereton, T., Roy, D. and Warren, M.: The State of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland. 2006.
- Frohawk (1914). Frohawk, F.W.: A Natural History of British Butterflies. 1914.
- Howarth (1973). Howarth, T.G.: South's British Butterflies. 1973.
- Nash (2012). Nash, D., Boyd, T. and Hardiman, D.: Ireland's Butterflies: A Review. 2012.
- Riley (2007). Riley, A.M.: British and Irish Butterflies: The Complete Identification, Field and Site Guide to the Species, Subspecies and Forms. 2007.
- South (1906). South, R.: The Butterflies Of The British Isles. 1906.
- Thomas & Lewington (2010). Thomas, J. and Lewington, R.: The Butterflies of Britain and Ireland. Edn.2. 2010.
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