Hesperiidae : Hesperiinae
Large Skipper
OCHLODES sylvanus (Esper, 1779)
Large Skipper
OCHLODES sylvanus (Esper, 1779)
Life Cycle Guide
Description
Wingspan: Male:23-30mm : Female:27-33mm
Worldwide Distribution: Europe:Temperate Asia:China:Japan
UK Distribution: The Large Skipper is widespread throughout Southern England and Wales, increasing its range as far as the North east of England and Southern Scotland since 1960.
UK Conservation Status -
Flight Period: UK : June : August-Europe : May : August
Habitat: Sunny woodland rides:Meadows where Bramble(Rubus fruticosus) and other nectar plants can be found:River banks.
Ovum: "Pudding basin" shaped ovum laid singly on larval food plant in sunny location
Larva: Create protective tube by spinning together the outer edges of leaf blade. Larval stage lasts almost 11 months, mid July-late May.
Fully grown larva 26-29mm.
Pupa: Found mid May-end June-stage usually lasts three weeks
Overwinters as: Early stage larva
Observations: Both sexes of the Large Skipper are attracted to Bramble blossom and vetches along woodland paths and rides and can often be seen basking on leaves as shown below.
The male Large Skippers are typically territorial and can be often seen alighting from their chosen perch to chase away an intruder, before returning to their vantage point.
Males can be differentiated from females by the thick curved black sex brand on the forewings.
For those concerned by photo 4 (L-R) below with the confrontation between the female Large Skipper and the spider, you can be assured it was a happy ending, without external interference.
Worldwide Distribution: Europe:Temperate Asia:China:Japan
UK Distribution: The Large Skipper is widespread throughout Southern England and Wales, increasing its range as far as the North east of England and Southern Scotland since 1960.
UK Conservation Status -
- Least Concern - Red List
- Least Concern
- Papilio sylvanus (Esper, 1777)
- Hesperia nemorum Boisduval, 1852
- Germany
Flight Period: UK : June : August-Europe : May : August
Habitat: Sunny woodland rides:Meadows where Bramble(Rubus fruticosus) and other nectar plants can be found:River banks.
Ovum: "Pudding basin" shaped ovum laid singly on larval food plant in sunny location
Larva: Create protective tube by spinning together the outer edges of leaf blade. Larval stage lasts almost 11 months, mid July-late May.
Fully grown larva 26-29mm.
Pupa: Found mid May-end June-stage usually lasts three weeks
Overwinters as: Early stage larva
Observations: Both sexes of the Large Skipper are attracted to Bramble blossom and vetches along woodland paths and rides and can often be seen basking on leaves as shown below.
The male Large Skippers are typically territorial and can be often seen alighting from their chosen perch to chase away an intruder, before returning to their vantage point.
Males can be differentiated from females by the thick curved black sex brand on the forewings.
For those concerned by photo 4 (L-R) below with the confrontation between the female Large Skipper and the spider, you can be assured it was a happy ending, without external interference.
Photo Gallery
Larval Food Plants Worldwide
Note - Plants hyperlinked in red below take the visitor to the relevant plant page on"Plants for a Future" website
where further information like photos,physical
characteristics,habitats,edible uses,medicinal
uses,cultivation,propagation,range,height etc. are clearly listed.
- Plant Families - in bold red below takes the visitor to the relevant "Lepi-plants" page where other butterflies & moths using the plants below are listed.
- Poaceae - Gramineae - True Grasses Family
- Lolium perenne - Perennial Ryegrass
- Agrostis capillaries - Common Bent Grass
- Alopecurus pratensis - Meadow Foxtail
- Brachypodium pinnatum - Tor-grass
- Brachypodium sylvaticum - False Brome
- Bromopsis erecta - Upright Brome
- Calamagrostis epigejos - Wood-small Reed
- Calamagrostis purpurea - Scandinavian Small-reed
- Dactylis glomerata - Cock's-foot - Orchard grass
- Deschampsia cespitosa - Tufted hair-grass - Tussock
- Deschampsia flexuosa - Wavy Hair-grass
- Elymus caninus - Bearded Couch
- Elymus repens - Couch grass
- Festuca arundinacea - Tall Fescue
- Holcus lanatus - Yorkshire-fog
- Molinia caerulea - Purple Moor Grass
- Phalaris arundinacea - Reed canary grass
- Phleum pratense - Timothy-grass
- Phragmites australis - Common Reed
- Poa pratensis - Smooth Meadow-grass
- Juncaceae - Reed Family
- Juncus effusus - Soft Rush - Common Rush
- Luzula pilosa - Hairy Wood-rush
Larval Food Plants
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Taxonomy
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Kingdom:
Subkingdom: Skudder, Phylum: Subphylum Class: Order: Superfamily: Family: Subfamily Tribe: Genus: Accepted Species Name: Type Species - OCHLODES: Original Species Name: Literary Ref: Type Locality: Forms/Aberrations: Subspecies: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Papilionoidea Hesperiidae Hesperiinae Hesperiini OCHLODES Skudder, 1872 Ochlodes sylvanus (Esper,1779) - Hesperia nemorum Boisduval, 1852 - PAPILIO sylvanus (Esper 1779) = Augiades faunus Turati 1905 = Hesperia venata Bremer & Grey 1853 = Ochlodes faunus Turati 1905 = Papilio melicerta Bergsträsser, 1780 = Ochlodes alexandra Hemming, 1934 = Ochlodes esperiverity Hemming, 1934 = Ochlodes venata faunus. - Die Schmetterlinge. Th. I, Bd. 1 (9): Title Page : 343, (6): pl. 36, f. 1 - Germany - O.s. extensa Tutt, 1906 O.s. intermedia Frohawk, 1938 O.s. juncta Tutt, 1906 O.s. obscura Tutt, 1906 O.s. opposita Tutt, 1906 O.s. pallida Mosley, 1896 - O.s.esperi Verity, 1934-W.Siberia : C.Siberia |
