Silver Spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma)

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IMAGES COURTESY OF STEVE SHROUD (C)

Found only on Chalk and Limestone hills of SE England, where it is locally common often seen in its cklassic pose sitting on the flowers of Stemless and Dwarf Thistle. It resembles the large Skipper but the underside of the wings are greener and spotted with silver white. Females are darker.It is active in August , The White eggs ( later turning yellow ) are laid on sheep faeces or other grass and hatch early spring. The larvae construct feeding shelters by spinning together blades of grasss. In July they construct grassy coccoons near the ground, the mainly olive brown larva equiopped with hooks so they can grip the cocoon adults emerge circa 10 days .