LARGE SKIPPER

SKIPPERS are fast, small butterflies that can be mistaken for moths, and this is the largest of the more common and widespread goldenbrown species.

When at rest, basking in the sunshine, the large skipper holds its wings in a most unusual way – with the hind wings spread out and the forewings held up in a ‘V’ shape. One would be right to wonder whether it was a butterfly at all – especially as it has a stout, furry moth-like body and quite dull patterning.

The large skipper is similar looking to a number of other skipper butterflies – especially the small skipper, which in turn looks just like the Essex skipper! However, the large skipper can be identified by the faint chequered mottling on either side of its orangey-gold wings. One is most likely to come across large skippers in July and August in areas with tall uncut grasses. As with many small butterflies, it can be worth taking a photo in order to check features in detail to verify identification.