• Contact Us
  • Peter Eeles
  • Guy Padfield
  • Gary Richardson
  • Piers Vigus
• Community
  • Contributing
  • Forums
  • Personal Diaries
• Events
  • Jul 24/25 - Buddleia Event
  • Oct 02 - AES Exhibition
  • Oct 23 - Hants BC AGM
  • Nov 20 - National BC AGM
• Newsletter
  • Subscribe
  • Unsubscribe
  • Current Newsletter
  • Past Newsletters
• Photography
  • Annual Competitions
  • Monthly Competitions
  • Personal Albums
  • Photo Galleries
  • Species-specific Photos
  • Species-specific Videos
• Resources
  • Apple iApps
  • Books
  • DVDs
  • FAQ
  • Links
  • Reports
  • Search
• Species
  • Conservation Status
  • Density
  • Distribution
  • Flight Times
  • Identification
  • Larval Foodplants
  • Moths
  • Nectar Sources
  • Sightings
  • Sites
• Stock Photos
  • Basket
  • Browse Photos
  • Contributing Stock Photos
  • References
  • Terms & Conditions

Wingspan 27 - 34mm

Dingy Skipper Erynnis tages e-RIN-iss TAY-jeez Linnaeus, 1758 Ref: 1532

Superfamily: Hesperioidea Family: Hesperiidae Subfamily: Pyrginae Genus: Erynnis Subgenus:   Species: tages Subspecies: tages (Linnaeus, 1758)   baynesi (Huggins, 1956)

Introduction Distribution Annual Cycle Habitat Larval Foodplants Nectar Sources

Imago Ovum Larva Pupa Similar Species Videos

Sites Conservation Status Links References

Male

Male Underside

Female

Female Underside

	Introduction

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.

Subspecies: tages

This subspecies is found in most of the British Isles.

Subspecies: baynesi

This subspecies is found in western Ireland in the Burren and south-east Galway. This subspecies differs from the tages subspecies by having a brownish black upperside and light markings that are very pale.

	Distribution

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 this is the only skipper found in 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.

	Annual Cycle

The butterfly is on the wing in May and June and, in favourable years, there may be a partial second brood.

Subspecies: tages

Subspecies: baynesi

	Habitat

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.

	Larval Foodplants

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.

	Nectar Sources

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.).

	Imago

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: tages

Photo © Paul	Photo © Vince Massimo 31-May-2005	Photo © Vince Massimo 22-May-2005	Photo © Pete Eeles 31-May-2006
Photo © Pete Eeles 10-May-2009	Photo © Pete Eeles 10-May-2009	Photo © Pete Eeles 10-May-2009	Photo © Pete Eeles 02-Jun-2007
Photo © Pete Eeles 10-May-2006	Taken at Ketton Quarry, Rutland on the 20th May 2010. Photo © benwmbc 20-May-2010	Photo © Trevor Sawyer	Photo © Wayne Clinch
Photo © Gruditch 03-May-2010	Photo © Nick Sampford 12-May-2002

Subspecies: baynesi

Photo © Adrian Riley

Photo © Graham Smith

	Aberrations

Description to be completed

	Ovum

Eggs are laid singly at the base of leaflets and are greenish-white when first laid, later changing to orange.

Photo © Reg Fry

Photo © Reg Fry

Photo © Brian Clegg

	Larva

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.

Photo © Reg Fry

Photo © Reg Fry

Photo © Reg Fry

	Pupa

The larva emerges from hibernation in April and, without further feeding, pupates within its hibernaculum.

	Similar Species

No similar species found.

	Videos

Play Video

	Sites

Click here to see the distribution of this species overlaid with specific site information. Alternatively, select one of the sites listed below.

Rating	Sites
	Gait Barrows, Ketton Quarry, Old Winchester Hill
	Braunton Burrows, Brown's Hill Quarry, Buckland Wood, Cerne Hill Giant, Denbies Hillside, Devils Ditch, Ellerburn Bank, Fontmell Down, Gurney Slade, Martin Down, Mill Hill, Noar Hill, Twywell Hills and Dales, Warton Crag
	Bishop Middleham Quarry, Carymoor Environmental Centre, Chambers Farm Wood, Draycott Sleights, Durlston Country Park, Malling Down, Powerstock Common, Priddy Mineries, Thurlbear Quarrylands, Tucking Mill
	Browns Folly, Long Knoll, Stockbridge Down, Torr Works
	Aberbargoed Grasslands, Banstead Downs, Crook Peak, Greenham Common, Llanymynech Rocks
Not rated	Aldbury Nowers, Ardersier, Ardley Quarry, Aston Upthorpe Downs, Attenborough Nature Reserve, Badbury Rings, Ballard Down, Bannerdown, Barton Hills, Bishops Itchington, Black Rock, Blue Lagoon, Botley Wood, Brackett's Coppice, Branscombe, Brigstock, Brotheridge Green, Bunny's Hill, Caherconnell, Cannock Chase, Castle Eden Dene, Castle Hill NNR, Chawridge Bank, Clubmen's Down, College Lake, Common Hill, Coombe Bisset Down, Coombe Heath, Corfe Castle, Cother Wood, Dean Hill (West), Dolebury Warren, Duchie's Piece, Duncliffe Woods, Earl's Hill, East Poldens Reserves, Epping Forest, Eyarth Rocks, Goblin Combe, Grangelands, Granville, Haldon Butterfly Walk, Haldon Woods, Hambledon Hill, Hartslock, Hod Hill, Hog Cliff Bottom, Holtspur Valley Reserves, Homefield Wood, Ivinghoe, Jerry's Hole, Kemsing Downs, Kenfig Pool, Kingcombe Meadows, Kingcombe Stones, Lankham Bottom, Larden Chase, Levin Down, Lydlinch Common, Mere Down, Merthyr Mawr, Middleton Down, Monkwood, Narborough Reserve, Orlestone Forest, Over Cutting, Oxwich, Pewley Downs, Piddles Wood, Pitt Down, Polhill Bank, Portland Tout Quarry, Portpatrick, Prestwood Picnic Site, Quoditch Moor Nature Reserve, Salcey Forest, Sewell Cutting, Sovell Down, Stoke Camp, Stubhampton Bottom, The Ercall, The Knapp and Papermill, Tickenham Ridge, Toads Hole, Townsend Quarry, Tring Park, Twyford Wood, Ubley Warren, Walton Common, Watlington Hill, Whitehawk Hill, Whiteley Pastures

	Conservation Status

The Dingy Skipper is in decline and is therefore a priority species for conservation efforts

UK BAP Status	Distribution Trend	Population Trend
Priority Species Click here to access the Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) for this species.

From The State of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland and the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP) (2007 review).

	Links

The following links provide additional information on this butterfly.

• British Butterflies by Steven Cheshire
• Butterfly Conservation priority species factsheet
• Butterfly Conservation species action plan
• Butterfly Monitoring Scheme
• European Butterflies by Christopher Jonko
• European Butterflies by Matt Rowlings
• Guy Padfield's European Butterfly Page
• Learn About Butterflies by Adrian Hoskins
• Moths and Butterflies of Europe and North Africa
• Natural History Museum (Cockayne Database)

	References

The species description provided here has been derived from the author's own observations and the information contained in the following works:

• A Natural History of British Butterflies, by F.W.Frohawk.
• British and Irish Butterflies, by Adrian M. Riley
• South's British Butterflies, by T.G.Howarth (which is based extensively on the classic work, "The Butterflies of the British Isles", by Richard South).
• The Butterflies of Britain and Ireland, by Jeremy Thomas and Richard Lewington.
• The Millennium Atlas of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland, by Jim Asher, Martin Warren, Richard Fox, Paul Harding, Gail Jeffcoate, Stephen Jeffcoate.
• The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland Volume 7 (1) Hesperiidae to Nymphalidae (the Butterflies), by A. Maitland Emmet and John Heath (editors).
• The State of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland, Richard Fox, Jim Asher, Tom Brereton, David Roy and Martin Warren.

Site brought to you by Webified
Copyright © Peter Eeles 2002-2010
All rights are reserved
Administrator Login