# Small skipper > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Small_skipper > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Small_skipper.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_skipper > Source revision: 1329822703 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Species of butterfly}} {{Speciesbox | image = Thymelicus sylvestris (female) - Kulna.jpg | image_caption = Female | taxon = Thymelicus sylvestris | authority = ([Poda](/source/Nikolaus_Poda_von_Neuhaus), 1761) }} The '''small skipper''' ('''''Thymelicus sylvestris''''') is a [butterfly](/source/butterfly) of the family [Hesperiidae](/source/Hesperiidae). ==Appearance== It has a rusty orange colour to the wings, upper body, and the tips of the antennae. The body is silvery white below, and it has a wingspan of {{cvt|25-30|mm}}. This butterfly is very similar in appearance to the [Essex skipper](/source/Essex_skipper) (''Thymelicus lineola''). In the small skipper, the undersides of the tips of the antennae are yellow orange, whereas they are black in the Essex skipper. The black area on the lower edge of the upper wings also differs. Like the other orange [grass skippers](/source/grass_skippers), the male has a distinctive black stripe made up of scent scales. (MHNT) Thymelicus sylvestris - Foret de Bouconne, France - male dorsal.jpg|'' Thymelicus sylvestris'' ♂ (MHNT) Thymelicus sylvestris - Foret de Bouconne, France - male ventral.jpg| ♂ △ ==Distribution== This butterfly's range includes much of Europe (east to the [Urals](/source/Urals), including [Ireland](/source/Ireland), [Britain](/source/Great_Britain) and Scandinavia), north [Africa](/source/Africa) and the [Middle East](/source/Middle_East). It is typically occurring where grass has grown tall. ==Life cycle and food plants== Eggs are laid loosely inside grass sheaths of the [caterpillar](/source/caterpillar)s food plants from July to August. The newly hatched caterpillars eat their own eggshell before entering hibernation individually in a protective [cocoon](/source/Pupa) of a grass sheath sealed with [silk](/source/silk). In the spring the caterpillar begins feeding. The favoured food plant is [Yorkshire fog](/source/Yorkshire_fog) (''Holcus lanatus''), although other recorded food plants include [timothy](/source/Timothy-grass) (''Phleum pratense''), [creeping soft grass](/source/creeping_soft_grass) (''Holcus mollis''), [false brome](/source/false_brome) (''Brachypodium sylvaticum''), [meadow foxtail](/source/meadow_foxtail) (''Alopecurus pratensis'') and [cock's foot](/source/cock's_foot) (''Dactylis glomerata''). The caterpillars pupate near the base of the food plant in June with the first adults on the wing at the end of June, a week or two before the first Essex skippers. They are strongly attracted to purple flowers such as [thistles](/source/thistles) and [knapweeds](/source/knapweeds). Image:Thymelicus sylvestriseggs.jpg|Eggs Image:The larvæ of the British butterflies and moths BHL41107841.jpg |figs 3, 3a, 3b larvae after last moult;3c pupa Image:Braunkolbiger Braun-Dickkopffalter01.jpg|Small skipper
(Germany 2009) ==References== {{Reflist}} * Jim Asher et al. ''The Millennium Atlas of Butterflies of Britain and Ireland'' Oxford University Press ==External links== * {{Commons inline|Thymelicus sylvestris}} * {{Wikispecies inline|Thymelicus sylvestris}} * [http://butterfly-conservation.org/679-755/small-skipper.html Butterfly Conservation] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20041204173343/http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/407.shtml BBC Science & Nature] * [http://www.lepiforum.de/lepiwiki.pl?Thymelicus_Sylvestris Lepiforum.de] * [http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species.php?vernacular_name=Small%20Skipper UK Butterflies] * [https://www.butterfly-conservation-armenia.org/ Butterfly Conservation Armenia] {{Portal bar|Insects|Arthropods|Animals|Biology}} {{Taxonbar|from=Q901535}} Category:Thymelicus Category:Butterflies described in 1761 Category:Butterflies of Africa Category:Butterflies of Asia Category:Butterflies of Europe Category:Taxa named by Nikolaus Poda von Neuhaus --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Small skipper](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_skipper) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_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.