# Large skipper > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Large_skipper > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Large_skipper.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_skipper > Source revision: 1295958765 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) The **large skipper** (***Ochlodes sylvanus***) is a [butterfly](/source/Butterfly) of the family [Hesperiidae](/source/Hesperiidae). ## Taxonomy It was long known as *[Ochlodes venatus](/source/Ochlodes_venatus)*, but this is a [Far Eastern](/source/Far_East) relative. There is still some dispute whether this species should be considered a distinct species or included in *O. venatus* as a subspecies. Under [ICZN](/source/International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature) rules the specific name, originally proposed as *Papilio sylvanus*, is invalid as a homonym (of the butterfly now called *[Anthene sylvanus](/source/Anthene_sylvanus)*), but it has been conserved by an [ICZN commission](/source/International_Commission_on_Zoological_Nomenclature) decision in 2000.[1] ## Distribution and habitat This species occurs from Europe to the East [Palearctic realm](/source/Palearctic_realm) (northern [Asia](/source/Asia), [China](/source/China) and [Japan](/source/Japan)). In the [British Isles](/source/British_Isles) it occurs in [England](/source/England), [Wales](/source/Wales), and south western[2][3] and southeastern Scotland.[4] It can be found anywhere where wild grasses are allowed to grow tall. Hedgerows, woodland clearings and edges are favourites. ## Description *Ochlodes sylvanus* has a [wingspan](/source/Wingspan) of 28–32 mm, which is similar in size to [Chequered skipper](/source/Carterocephalus_palaemon). Although called "large" this is still a relatively small butterfly and not much larger than either the [small](/source/Small_skipper) or [Essex skippers](/source/Essex_skipper). The body is rather squat. The antennae are hooked at their tips. The upperside of the wings is orange-brown with a brown border and some lighter spots. The underside of the hindwings is greenish-yellow, marked with sparse yellow spots. The male has a broad scented [androconial](/source/Androconia) dark line across the top of the forewings. On the hindwings of the females there are brighter square marks. When the wings are opened, the forewings are obliquely folded, masking the hindwings. The faint chequered pattern on both the upperside and underside, and also the hook-shaped antenna tips, help to distinguish the large skipper from these two orange skippers. The [Lulworth skipper](/source/Lulworth_skipper) also has patterned wings, but does not have the hooked antennae. The [caterpillar](/source/Caterpillar) can reach a length of 28 millimetres (1.1 in). It has a large blackish-brown head and a bluish green body, with a dark line down its back and a yellow stripe along each side. ## Life cycle and foodplants In northern Europe these butterflies have a single brood, but in the south they may have up to three broods. Eggs are laid singly on the underside of foodplant leaves and hatch after about two weeks. They are normally laid on [cocksfoot](/source/Dactylis_glomerata) (*Dactylis glomerata*) but they will occasionally use [purple moor-grass](/source/Purple_moor-grass) (*Molinia caerulea*), [false brome](/source/False_brome) (*Brachypodium sylvaticum*), [tor-grass](/source/Tor-grass) (*B. pinnatum*) and [wood small-reed](/source/Wood_small-reed) (*Calamagrostis epigejos*). Larvae also feed on various *[Poaceae](/source/Poaceae)*, *[Phalaris arundinacea](/source/Phalaris_arundinacea)*, *[Alopecurus pratensis](/source/Alopecurus_pratensis)*, *[Calamagrostis purpurea](/source/Calamagrostis_purpurea)*, *[Deschampsia flexuosa](/source/Deschampsia_flexuosa)*, *[Phragmites communis](/source/Phragmites_communis)* and *[Elymus caninus](/source/Elymus_caninus)*.,[3] but also on *[Festuca](/source/Festuca)*, *[Triticum](/source/Triticum)*, *[Dactylis glomerata](/source/Dactylis_glomerata)*, *[Molinia](/source/Molinia)*, *[Holcus lanatus](/source/Holcus_lanatus)*, *[Luzula](/source/Luzula)*, etc. On hatching the larvae construct a shelter in the usual skipper method of curling a leaf up with silk and begins to feed. It [hibernates](/source/Hibernation) as a half-grown caterpillar and emerges in the spring to continue feeding and growing. Pupation lasts about three weeks during May and June and the adults are present from June to August. It is the first of the grass skippers to emerge in the UK. It is an active butterfly in sunny weather, it is attracted to various flowers but has a distinct liking for [bramble](/source/Bramble) flowers. ## See also - [List of butterflies of Great Britain](/source/List_of_butterflies_of_Great_Britain) - [List of butterflies in Sweden](/source/List_of_butterflies_in_Sweden) - [List of Lepidoptera of Germany](/source/List_of_Lepidoptera_of_Germany) ## Citations 1. ["Opinion 1944: *Papilio sylvanus* Esper, 1777 (currently known as *Ochlodes sylvanus* or *O. venatus faunus*; Insecta, Lepidoptera): specific name conserved"](https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/12439124#page/70/mode/1up). *Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature*. **57** (1): 56. 2000. 1. [Fauna europaea](https://web.archive.org/web/20160304204826/http://www.faunaeur.org/full_results.php?id=440718) 1. [Funet](http://www.nic.funet.fi/pub/sci/bio/life/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/hesperioidea/hesperiidae/hesperiinae/ochlodes/index.html#sylvanus) 1. Paul Kirkland (2022). *Discovering Scotland's Butterflies*. Pisces Publications. pp. 50–53. ISBN 978-1-874357-99-5. ## References - Shreeve, T.G. & Emmet, A.M. (1990), "OCHLODES VENATA (Bremer & Grey). Pages 64–67 in Emmet, A.M., J. Heath et al. (Eds.) The Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland. *The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland* Vol. 7 Part 1 (Hesperiidae to Nymphalidae)", Harley Books, Colchester, UK. 370p. - Jim Asher *et al.* *The Millennium Atlas of Butterflies of Britain and Ireland*. Oxford University Press. ## External links - [UK Butterflies](http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species.php?species=sylvanus) - [Euro Butterflies](http://www.eurobutterflies.com/sp/venatus.php) - [Large skipper page](http://www.nhc.ed.ac.uk/index.php?page=24.25.26.30.51) from [Natural History Collections of the University of Edinburgh](http://www.nhc.ed.ac.uk/index.php?page=1) - Paolo Mazzei, Daniel Morel, Raniero Panfili [Moths and Butterflies of Europe and North Africa](http://www.leps.it/indexjs.htm?SpeciesPages/OchloVenat.htm) - [Lepiforum.de](http://www.lepiforum.de/lepiwiki.pl?Ochlodes_Sylvanus) - [Butterfly Conservation Armenia](https://www.butterfly-conservation-armenia.org/) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Large skipper](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_skipper) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_skipper?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.