Silver-spotted Skipper
Encyclopedia
The Silver-spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma) is a butterfly
of the Hesperiidae family. It is known as the Common Branded Skipper or Holarctic Grass Skipper in North America
, where the butterfly Epargyreus clarus
, a spread-winged skipper
, also has the common name of "Silver-spotted Skipper".
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Ochlodes venata, this species is easily distinguished by the numerous white spots on the underside hindwings, and the tips of the upper forewings tend to be darker than those of the Large Skipper. Also their flight periods rarely overlap; in Britain the Large Skipper has all but finished when the Silver-spotted takes to the wing in August. The Silver-spotted Skipper prefers warm calcareous
sites and has a wide distribution as far south as North Africa
, northwards throughout Europe
to the Arctic
and eastwards across Asia
to China
and Japan
. It also has subspecies in North America. In the UK
it is rare and restricted to chalk
downland
s of southern England
.
Festuca ovina, the only foodplant, and occasionally on nearby plants. The females are very fussy where they lay; most eggs in the UK are laid in short turf, up to 4 cm, and often next to patches of bare ground. This species overwinters as an egg and hatches in March. Like other skippers the larva
e construct small tent-like structures from leaf blades and silk from which to feed. They enter the pupa
l stage after 14 to 15 weeks at the base of the foodplant. Pupation takes 10 to 14 days, and as with most butterflies the males emerge first.
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
of the Hesperiidae family. It is known as the Common Branded Skipper or Holarctic Grass Skipper in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, where the butterfly Epargyreus clarus
Epargyreus clarus
The Silver-spotted Skipper is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is claimed to be the most recognized skipper in North America.-Description:The wingspan of an adult is 43–67 mm...
, a spread-winged skipper
Spread-winged Skippers
Spread-winged skippers, Pyrginae, are a subfamily of the skipper butterfly family . The subfamily was established by Hermann Burmeister in 1878...
, also has the common name of "Silver-spotted Skipper".
Appearance, behaviour and distribution
Often confused with the Large SkipperLarge Skipper
The Large Skipper is a butterfly of the Hesperiidae family, which occurs throughout Europe. It was long known as Ochlodes venata, but this is a Far Eastern relative. There is still some dispute whether this species should be considered a distinct species or included in O...
Ochlodes venata, this species is easily distinguished by the numerous white spots on the underside hindwings, and the tips of the upper forewings tend to be darker than those of the Large Skipper. Also their flight periods rarely overlap; in Britain the Large Skipper has all but finished when the Silver-spotted takes to the wing in August. The Silver-spotted Skipper prefers warm calcareous
Calcareous
Calcareous is an adjective meaning mostly or partly composed of calcium carbonate, in other words, containing lime or being chalky. The term is used in a wide variety of scientific disciplines.-In zoology:...
sites and has a wide distribution as far south as North Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, northwards throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
to the Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
and eastwards across Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It also has subspecies in North America. In the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
it is rare and restricted to chalk
Chalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Calcite is calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite plates shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores....
downland
Downland
A downland is an area of open chalk hills. This term is especially used to describe the chalk countryside in southern England. Areas of downland are often referred to as Downs....
s of southern England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Subspecies
- Hesperia comma assiniboia (Lyman 1892)
- Hesperia comma benuncas (Oberthur 1912)
- Hesperia comma borealis Lindsey 1942 – Labrador Branded Skipper
- Hesperia comma catena (Staudinger 1861)
- Hesperia comma colorado (Scudder 1874)
- Hesperia comma comma (Linnaeus 1758)
- Hesperia comma dimila (Moore 1874)
- Hesperia comma dodgei (Bell 1927) – Dodge's Branded Skipper
- Hesperia comma florinda (Butler 1878)
- Hesperia comma harpalis (WH Edwards 1881) – Yosemite Branded Skipper (= Hesperia comma idaho, Idaho Branded Skipper)
- Hesperia comma hulbirti Lindsey 1939 – Hulbirt's Branded Skipper
- Hesperia comma laurentina (Lyman 1892) – Laurentian Branded Skipper
- Hesperia comma lena Korshunov & P. Gorbunov 1995
- Hesperia comma leussleri Lindsey 1940 – Leussler's Branded Skipper
- Hesperia comma manitoba (Scudder 1874)
- Hesperia comma mojavensis Austin & McGuire 1998 – Mojave Branded Skipper
- Hesperia comma manitoba (Scudder 1874) – Manitoba Branded Skipper
- Hesperia comma mattoonorum McGuire 1998
- Hesperia comma mixta Alpheraky 1881
- Hesperia comma ochracea Lindsey 1941
- Hesperia comma oroplata Scott 1981
- Hesperia comma oregonia (WH Edwards 1883) – Oregon Branded Skipper
- Hesperia comma pallida Staudinger 1901
- Hesperia comma planula Korshunov 1995
- Hesperia comma sachalinensis Matsumura 1933
- Hesperia comma shandura Evans 1949
- Hesperia comma susanae L Miller 1962
- Hesperia comma sushinki Korshunov 1995
- Hesperia comma tildeni HA Freeman 1956 – Tilden's Branded Skipper
- Hesperia comma yosemite Leussler 1933
Life cycle and foodplants
Females lay single eggs during August and September on the leaf blades of Sheep's FescueSheep's Fescue
Sheep's Fescue or Sheep Fescue is a species of grass.-General Description:It is a perennial plant sometimes found in acidic ground, for example in the Portlethen Moss, Scotland and mountain pasture, throughout Europe and eastwards across much of Asia; it has also been introduced to North...
Festuca ovina, the only foodplant, and occasionally on nearby plants. The females are very fussy where they lay; most eggs in the UK are laid in short turf, up to 4 cm, and often next to patches of bare ground. This species overwinters as an egg and hatches in March. Like other skippers the larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e construct small tent-like structures from leaf blades and silk from which to feed. They enter the pupa
Pupa
A pupa is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation. The pupal stage is found only in holometabolous insects, those that undergo a complete metamorphosis, going through four life stages; embryo, larva, pupa and imago...
l stage after 14 to 15 weeks at the base of the foodplant. Pupation takes 10 to 14 days, and as with most butterflies the males emerge first.