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Butterfly taxonomy (classification) The skippers The swallowtails The whites The hairstreaks, coppers and blues. Includes the Duke of Burgundy. The nymphalids, fritillaries and browns. Includes the Monarch.
Dingy Skipper
Wingspan
27 - 34mm
Photo © Gruditch
Dingy Skipper

Erynnis tages
Pronunciation e-RIN-iss
TAY-jeez
B&F No.: 1532
Superfamily: Hesperioidea
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Pyrginae
Genus: Erynnis
Subgenus:  
Species: tages (Linnaeus, 1758)
Subspecies:tages (Linnaeus, 1758)
 baynesi (Huggins, 1956)
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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. 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.


Dingy Skipper - imago - Greenham Common - 22-May-12
Male
Photo © Pete Eeles
Dingy Skipper - imago - Hartslock - 10-May-09 (1)
Male Underside
Photo © Pete Eeles
Dingy-Skipper-Dunstable 30 April 2010 I9T9580
Female
Photo © IainLeach
Dingy Skippers - Ketton Quarry, Rutland 20-May-2010
Female Underside
Photo © benwmbc

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 baynesi

Male 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."


Dingy Skipper - imago - Boston, Clare - 2005 [Adrian Riley]
Male
Photo © Adrian Riley
Male Underside
Female
Female Underside

Phenology  

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.


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: Erynnis tages tages


Dingy Skipper Female - Noar Hill, Hants. 31-May-05
Photo © Vince Massimo
31-May-2005
Dingy Skipper Male - Ballard Down, Dorset 22-May-05
Photo © Vince Massimo
22-May-2005
Dingy Skipper - imago - Cerne Abbas - 31-May-06 (0166)
Photo © Pete Eeles
31-May-2006
Dingy Skipper - imago - Hartslock - 10-May-09 (1)
Photo © Pete Eeles
10-May-2009
Dingy Skippers - Ketton Quarry, Rutland 20-May-2010
Photo © benwmbc
20-May-2010
Dingy Skipper - Noar Hill - 15 May 2010 (1)
Photo © Clive
15-May-2010
Dingy Skipper
Photo © Gruditch
03-May-2010
Dingy Skipper - Noar Hill - 15 May 2010 (2)
Photo © Clive
15-May-2010
Dingy Skipper - imago - Hartslock - 12-May-10 (1)
Photo © Pete Eeles
12-May-2010
Dingy Skipper - Bishops Hill, Warwickshire, 23.05.2012
Photo © nfreem
23-May-2012
Dingy Skipper Male - Chaldon, Surrey 20-April-11
Photo © Vince Massimo
20-Apr-2011
Dingy Skipper Female - Chaldon, Surrey 26-April-11
Photo © Vince Massimo
26-Apr-2011
Dingy Skipper (male), Chiddingfold Forest (9 May 2012)
Photo © Mark Colvin
09-May-2012
Dingy Skipper - imago - Greenham Common - 28-Apr-11 (3)
Photo © Pete Eeles
Dingy-Skipper-Dunstable 16 May 2010 I9T0352
Photo © IainLeach
Dingy-Skipper-Dunstable 16 May 2010 I9T0443
Photo © IainLeach
Dingy-Skipper-Dunstable 28 April 2010 I9T7233
Photo © IainLeach
Dingy-Skipper-Dunstable 16 May 2010 I9T8857
Photo © IainLeach
Dingy-Skipper-Dunstable 16 May 2010 I9T9053
Photo © IainLeach
Dingy-Skipper-Dunstable 30 April 2010 I9T9580
Photo © IainLeach
P1040041-800 Dingy Skipper, Noar Hill, 23/05/2012
Photo © Pauline
23-May-2012
P1040084-800 Dingy Skipper, Noar Hill, 23/05/2012
Photo © Pauline
23-May-2012
Dingy Skipper - imago - Greenham Common - 13-May-12
Photo © Pete Eeles
Dingy Skipper - imago - Greenham Common - 22-May-12
Photo © Pete Eeles
Dingy Skipper - imago - Greenham Common - 22-May-12-1
Photo © Pete Eeles
Dingy Skipper (Erynnis tages) Basking on Magnesian Limestone Running Waters Quarry, Co Durham 20th May 2010
Photo © Graham Beckwith
20-May-2010
Dingy Skipper Male (Second Brood) - Mill Hill, Sussex 30-July-2011
Photo © Sussex Kipper
30-Jul-2011
Dingy Skipper pair - Heyshott, Sussex 11-May-2012
Photo © Sussex Kipper
11-May-2012
1.5.2012 Dingy Skipper, male, Chiddingfold Wood, Surrey
Photo © hideandseek
01-May-2012

Subspecies: Erynnis tages baynesi


Dingy Skipper - imago - Boston, Clare - 2005 [Adrian Riley]
Photo © Adrian Riley
Dingy Skipper - imago - Carraroe, Galway - 07-Jun-07 [Graham Smith]
Photo © Graham Smith

Aberrations  

Description to be completed. Click here to see a full list of aberrations for this species.

Unclassified Aberrations


Dingy Skipper - aberration - Nr Stockbridge Down - 21-May-10 (1)
Photo © Pete Eeles
21-May-2010

Ovum  

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


Dingy Skipper - ovum - Unknown location - Unknown date (2) [REARED] [Reg Fry]
Photo © Reg Fry
Dingy Skipper - ovum - Unknown location - Unknown date (3) [REARED] [Reg Fry]
Photo © Reg Fry
Dingy Skipper - ovum - Unknown location - Unknown date [REARED] [Brian Clegg]
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.


Dingy Skipper - larva - Unknown location - Unknown date (3) [REARED] [Reg Fry]
Photo © Reg Fry
Dingy Skipper - larva - Unknown location - Unknown date (5) [REARED] [Reg Fry]
Photo © Reg Fry
Dingy Skipper - larva - Unknown location - Unknown date (7) [REARED] [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.

Sites
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

Conservation Status  

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

UK BAP StatusDistribution TrendPopulation Trend
Priority Species
Click here to access the Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) for this species.
StableDecrease

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.

References  

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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