Silver-spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma (Linnaeus, 1758))
Scientific name: Hesperia comma (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name: Silver-spotted Skipper
Other names: Common Branded Skipper or Holarctic Grass Skipper in North America, where another butterfly, Epargyreus clarus, has the common name of "Silver-spotted Skipper".
French name: Virgule, Comma
Order: Lepidoptera
Suborder: Rhopalocera
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Wingspan: 25-30 mm.
Biotope: Dry and chalky meadows.
Geographic area: North Africa, Europe except Ireland and northern Scandinavia, temperate and northern Asia, North America.
Flight time: June to August.
Number of generations : 1
Caterpillar: Dark brown with a big black head with pale lines.
Host plant: Many Graminae with thin leaves like Sheep's Fescue (Festuca ovina).
The upper side of the wings is orange brown, gradually turning to dark brown towards the edges. Females' wings are slightly marbled with orange.
The males' fore wings are crossed by a dark androconial stripe.
The underside of the wings is a brownish olive green colour. The underside of the hind wing shows well-marked white spots. This is a good key to tell apart the Silver-spotted Skipper from the Large Skipper (Ochlodes venatus).
The Silver-spotted Skipper over winters as an egg.

Silver-spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma) - Ardèche, France - August 16th 2008
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Silver-spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma)
The view of the upper side of the wings is not enough to tell apart the Silver-spotted Skipper from the Large Skipper.
Hopefully, Hesperiidae are used to landing with closed wings so that you can see the patterns on the underside of the wings.


Silver-spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma) - Ardèche, France - August 16th 2008
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Silver-spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma)
The well-marked white spots on the underside of the hindwing enable to tell the Silver-spotted Skipper apart.


Silver-spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma) - Ardèche, France - August 16th 2008
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Silver-spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma)
My stay in Ardèche allowed me to observe species I am not used to seeing in the Paris area. The Silver-spotted Skipper is one example.

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