(Linnaeus, 1758)
Silver-spotted Skipper
Description:
The Silver-spotted Skipper occurs on open, poor grasslands, heathlands, and on sparsely covered blown sand. The habitat varies from dry to moist, but is never rich in nutrients. However, in their search for nectar, the skippers do visit nutrient-rich areas where flowers are growing, usually not so far from their breeding ground.
Eggs are laid on various fine-leaved grasses, passing the winter in this stage. In the spring, the caterpillars emerge and spin a shelter from blades of grass in which they spend most of their time, usually coming out to feed at night. When fully-grown, the caterpillar spins a cocoon of silk and grass blades near the ground in which it pupates.
The Silver-spotted Skipper has one generation a year.
Habitat:
Dry siliceous grasslands
Dry calcareous grasslands
Heath and shrub
Mesophile grasslands
Similar species:
Ochlodes venata