Lulworth Skipper
Encyclopedia
The Lulworth Skipper is a butterfly
of the Hesperiidae family. Its name is derived from Lulworth Cove
in the county of Dorset
, England
, where the first specimens in Great Britain
were collected in 1832 by English naturalist James Charles Dale
.
The species occurs locally across Central Europe
, Asia Minor
and North Africa
, where its population is considered stable. Its numbers have declined in Northern Europe
, leading to its European status of 'vulnerable'. Its range in Britain is restricted to the south coast of Dorset, however it is locally abundant and its numbers currently are perhaps at their greatest since its discovery there.
With a wingspan of 24–28 millimetres, females being larger than males, the Lulworth Skipper is a small butterfly, the smallest member of the Thymelicus genus in Europe and among the smallest butterflies in Britain. Aside from the size difference
, the sexes are distinguished by females having a distinct circle of golden marks on each forewing. Due to their likeness to the rays around the eye of a peacock's
feather, these are often known as 'sun-ray' markings, and they can faintly appear on males.
S. A. von Rottemburg
in 1775. The butterfly was first discovered in Britain on 15 August 1832, when specimens were taken from Lulworth Cove
in Dorset
by English naturalist James Charles Dale
It was introduced the following year as the Lulworth Skipper (Thymelicus acteon), a name that has remained unchanged; it is the only one of Britain's vernacular
butterfly names for which there has never been a proposed substitute.
. Of Britain's five "golden" skippers — the others being the Silver-spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma), Large Skipper
(Ochlodes sylvanus), Small Skipper
(Thymelicus sylvestris) and Essex Skipper
(Thymelicus lineola) — the Lulworth is both the smallest and darkest. Beyond its small size, it is distinguished particularly by its dark, dun-coloured wings that appear with tinges of olive-brown; this darkening especially apparent in males.
Variations are known to occur; in north-west Africa, the uppersides of the fore and hind wing are darker, with hints of greenish or greyish brown. Similarly-coloured races occur in Spain
, Elba
, Crete
, and other Eastern Mediterranean islands. T. acteon christi, endemic to the Canary Islands
, displays colour variations, with the uppersides of the fore-wing showing defined yellow–orange markings.
The butterfly is sexually dimorphic
; females have a distinct circle of golden marks on each forewing, often called 'sun-ray' markings due to their likeness to the rays around the eye of a peacock's
feather. Males sometimes have these markings, though they are noticeably fainter (see Illustration 1).
, Asia Minor
and North Africa
, where its population is considered stable. In northern Europe, its numbers and range have severely declined, most notably in the Netherlands
where it is now extinct. This decline has led to the butterfly's European status of 'vulnerable'. The butterfly is part of the United Kingdom Biodiversity Action Plan
, listed due to its status fulfilling the "Threat" criteria.
In Great Britain
, where the butterfly reaches the northern limit of its range
, its distribution is restricted to the southern coastline of the county of Dorset
. Here, both the population and range have changed little in recent decades; it is locally abundant, with the majority of colonies found on the coast between Weymouth and Swanage
and on the Purbeck Ridge
, a line of inland chalk
hills. Two outlying colonies also exist, at Burton Bradstock
and on the Isle of Portland
; the cause of the colony on Portland is unknown, but has been put down to either natural colonisation or released specimens
. There is evidence to suggest that the Lulworth Skipper is now more abundant in Dorset than at any other time since its discovery in 1832.
Although colonies of Lulworth Skippers existed in Devon
, the species has, beyond single records, not be seen in the county since the 1930s. Similarly, records of occurrences exist for Cornwall
, but they have not been verified as native colonies.
Habitats are primarily on unfertilised calcareous
grassland; this includes chalk download, coastal grassland and undercliffs in Britain. In all of these habits Tor-grass
(Illustration 2), the butterfly's sole food plant and that on which it lays eggs, is widespread. Tall, ungrazed grass is a favoured habitat due to oviposition
and larval development; Lulworth Skippers have benefited from the move away from tight grazing by sheep in the last century and recently outbreaks of myxomatosis
among rabbit populations, which otherwise maintain a lower grass height. However, there is evidence to suggest that minimal grazing is not detrimental to the species, and may in fact be beneficial in that it encourages the growth of flowers that act as adult nectar sources.
in rows of 5–6 (although as many as 15 have been recorded) on the flower-sheath of Tor-grass
(Brachypodium pinnatum), preferring the dead sheaths of tall plants. The care taken by females over where to lay their eggs is considered the only remarkable part of the Lulworth Skipper breeding process, otherwise it is considered common.
Upon hatching, the 2.5 cm (1 in) long larva
spins a compact cocoon on the site of the eggshell. In this, it will overwinter
until around the third week of April, at which point it will eat its way out by making a small hole in the side of the sheath. The caterpillar will then search for tender Tor-grass blades and feed upon them by chewing out notches from the margin. During this time, it will live separately, within a tube composed of the two edges of a blade bound by cords of silk. Fresh tubes will be made as the caterpillar grows larger. Lulworth Skipper caterpillars live in the warmest zone of a grass clump, at a height of 20–40 cm (8–16 in).
The pupa
l stage lasts for about two weeks, from the beginning of June onwards, until late July. It is formed inside a loose 'nest' of silk and grass that is spun deep inside a tussock of tor grass. Imago
begin to emerge in the early middle of July and finish emerging in the middle of September. Typically, they will live for five to ten days—the normal lifespan for a non-hibernating butterfly of the Lulworth's seasonal stage. They fly only in strong sunshine and tend to form discrete colonies, with the largest containing up to 100,000 individuals.
refers to the " strange copper-coloured butterflies" which are found in parts of Dorset but nowhere else; this is generally agreed to be a reference to the Lulworth Skipper.
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
of the Hesperiidae family. Its name is derived from Lulworth Cove
Lulworth Cove
Lulworth Cove is a cove near the village of West Lulworth, on the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site in Dorset, southern England. The cove is one of the world's finest examples of such a landform, and is a tourist location with over 1 million visitors a year...
in the county of Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, where the first specimens in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
were collected in 1832 by English naturalist James Charles Dale
James Charles Dale
James Charles Dale was a wealthy English naturalist who devoted almost all of his adult life to entomology.James Dale was the son of wealthy landowners. He received his education at Cambridge University receiving his MA in 1818...
.
The species occurs locally across Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
, Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
and North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
, where its population is considered stable. Its numbers have declined in Northern Europe
Northern Europe
Northern Europe is the northern part or region of Europe. Northern Europe typically refers to the seven countries in the northern part of the European subcontinent which includes Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Finland and Sweden...
, leading to its European status of 'vulnerable'. Its range in Britain is restricted to the south coast of Dorset, however it is locally abundant and its numbers currently are perhaps at their greatest since its discovery there.
With a wingspan of 24–28 millimetres, females being larger than males, the Lulworth Skipper is a small butterfly, the smallest member of the Thymelicus genus in Europe and among the smallest butterflies in Britain. Aside from the size difference
Sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...
, the sexes are distinguished by females having a distinct circle of golden marks on each forewing. Due to their likeness to the rays around the eye of a peacock's
Peafowl
Peafowl are two Asiatic species of flying birds in the genus Pavo of the pheasant family, Phasianidae, best known for the male's extravagant eye-spotted tail, which it displays as part of courtship. The male is called a peacock, the female a peahen, and the offspring peachicks. The adult female...
feather, these are often known as 'sun-ray' markings, and they can faintly appear on males.
Taxonomy
The Lulworth Skipper was first described by German entomologistEntomology
Entomology is the scientific study of insects, a branch of arthropodology...
S. A. von Rottemburg
S. A. von Rottemburg
S. A. von Rottemburg was a German entomologist in the 18th century. Little is known about him by scientific historians. In the 1770s he took over Johann Siegfried Hufnagel's lepidopterological collection and published several works about it....
in 1775. The butterfly was first discovered in Britain on 15 August 1832, when specimens were taken from Lulworth Cove
Lulworth Cove
Lulworth Cove is a cove near the village of West Lulworth, on the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site in Dorset, southern England. The cove is one of the world's finest examples of such a landform, and is a tourist location with over 1 million visitors a year...
in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
by English naturalist James Charles Dale
James Charles Dale
James Charles Dale was a wealthy English naturalist who devoted almost all of his adult life to entomology.James Dale was the son of wealthy landowners. He received his education at Cambridge University receiving his MA in 1818...
It was introduced the following year as the Lulworth Skipper (Thymelicus acteon), a name that has remained unchanged; it is the only one of Britain's vernacular
Vernacular
A vernacular is the native language or native dialect of a specific population, as opposed to a language of wider communication that is not native to the population, such as a national language or lingua franca.- Etymology :The term is not a recent one...
butterfly names for which there has never been a proposed substitute.
Description
The male Lulworth Skipper has a wingspan of 24–27 millimetres (0.94–1.1 in), and the female 25–28 mm (0.98–1.1 in). This makes it one of Britain's smallest butterflies and, in Europe, the smallest member of the Thymelicus genusGenus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
. Of Britain's five "golden" skippers — the others being the Silver-spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma), Large Skipper
Large Skipper
The Large Skipper is a butterfly of the Hesperiidae family, which occurs throughout Europe. It was long known as Ochlodes venata, but this is a Far Eastern relative. There is still some dispute whether this species should be considered a distinct species or included in O...
(Ochlodes sylvanus), Small Skipper
Small Skipper
The Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris butterfly of the Hesperiidae family.-Appearance, behaviour and distribution: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 25–30 mm. This butterfly is very...
(Thymelicus sylvestris) and Essex Skipper
Essex Skipper
The Essex Skipper is a butterfly of the Hesperiidae family. In North America, it is known as the European Skipper....
(Thymelicus lineola) — the Lulworth is both the smallest and darkest. Beyond its small size, it is distinguished particularly by its dark, dun-coloured wings that appear with tinges of olive-brown; this darkening especially apparent in males.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Elba
Elba
Elba is a Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino. The largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago, Elba is also part of the National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago and the third largest island in Italy after Sicily and Sardinia...
, Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
, and other Eastern Mediterranean islands. T. acteon christi, endemic to the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
, displays colour variations, with the uppersides of the fore-wing showing defined yellow–orange markings.
The butterfly is sexually dimorphic
Sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...
; females have a distinct circle of golden marks on each forewing, often called 'sun-ray' markings due to their likeness to the rays around the eye of a peacock's
Peafowl
Peafowl are two Asiatic species of flying birds in the genus Pavo of the pheasant family, Phasianidae, best known for the male's extravagant eye-spotted tail, which it displays as part of courtship. The male is called a peacock, the female a peahen, and the offspring peachicks. The adult female...
feather. Males sometimes have these markings, though they are noticeably fainter (see Illustration 1).
Distribution and habitat
The Lulworth Skipper is found locally across southern and central EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
and North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
, where its population is considered stable. In northern Europe, its numbers and range have severely declined, most notably in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
where it is now extinct. This decline has led to the butterfly's European status of 'vulnerable'. The butterfly is part of the United Kingdom Biodiversity Action Plan
United Kingdom Biodiversity Action Plan
The United Kingdom Biodiversity Action Plan is the governmental response to the Convention on Biological Diversity signed in 1992. When the Biodiversity Action Plans were first published in 1994, the conservation of 391 species and 45 habitats was covered. 1,150 species and 65 habitats are...
, listed due to its status fulfilling the "Threat" criteria.
In Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, where the butterfly reaches the northern limit of its range
Range (biology)
In biology, the range or distribution of a species is the geographical area within which that species can be found. Within that range, dispersion is variation in local density.The term is often qualified:...
, its distribution is restricted to the southern coastline of the county of Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
. Here, both the population and range have changed little in recent decades; it is locally abundant, with the majority of colonies found on the coast between Weymouth and Swanage
Swanage
Swanage is a coastal town and civil parish in the south east of Dorset, England. It is situated at the eastern end of the Isle of Purbeck, approximately 10 km south of Poole and 40 km east of Dorchester. The parish has a population of 10,124 . Nearby are Ballard Down and Old Harry Rocks,...
and on the Purbeck Ridge
Southern England Chalk Formation
The Chalk Formation of Southern England is a system of chalk downland in the south of England. The formation is perhaps best known for Salisbury Plain, the location of Stonehenge, the Isle of Wight and the twin ridgeways of the North Downs and South Downs....
, a line of inland chalk
Chalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Calcite is calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite plates shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores....
hills. Two outlying colonies also exist, at Burton Bradstock
Burton Bradstock
Burton Bradstock is a village in south west Dorset, England. The village has a population of 979 . Situated on the Chesil Beach, east of Bridport the village nestles around the church of St...
and on the Isle of Portland
Isle of Portland
The Isle of Portland is a limestone tied island, long by wide, in the English Channel. Portland is south of the resort of Weymouth, forming the southernmost point of the county of Dorset, England. A tombolo over which runs the A354 road connects it to Chesil Beach and the mainland. Portland and...
; the cause of the colony on Portland is unknown, but has been put down to either natural colonisation or released specimens
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
. There is evidence to suggest that the Lulworth Skipper is now more abundant in Dorset than at any other time since its discovery in 1832.
Although colonies of Lulworth Skippers existed in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, the species has, beyond single records, not be seen in the county since the 1930s. Similarly, records of occurrences exist for Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, but they have not been verified as native colonies.
Habitats are primarily on unfertilised calcareous
Calcareous
Calcareous is an adjective meaning mostly or partly composed of calcium carbonate, in other words, containing lime or being chalky. The term is used in a wide variety of scientific disciplines.-In zoology:...
grassland; this includes chalk download, coastal grassland and undercliffs in Britain. In all of these habits Tor-grass
Tor-grass
Tor-grass is a plant in the grass family, with a widespread distribution in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. It typically grows in calcareous grassland, and reaches 70–120 cm tall. The flowerhead is open, with 10 to 15 erect spikelets.The caterpillars of some Lepidoptera use it...
(Illustration 2), the butterfly's sole food plant and that on which it lays eggs, is widespread. Tall, ungrazed grass is a favoured habitat due to oviposition
Oviposition
Oviposition is the process of laying eggs by oviparous animals.Some arthropods, for example, lay their eggs with an organ called the ovipositor.Fish , amphibians, reptiles, birds and monetremata also lay eggs....
and larval development; Lulworth Skippers have benefited from the move away from tight grazing by sheep in the last century and recently outbreaks of myxomatosis
Myxomatosis
Myxomatosis is a disease that affects rabbits and is caused by the Myxoma virus. It was first observed in Uruguay in laboratory rabbits in the late 19th century. It was introduced into Australia in 1950 in an attempt to control the rabbit population...
among rabbit populations, which otherwise maintain a lower grass height. However, there is evidence to suggest that minimal grazing is not detrimental to the species, and may in fact be beneficial in that it encourages the growth of flowers that act as adult nectar sources.
Life cycle
The females lay their eggsOviposition
Oviposition is the process of laying eggs by oviparous animals.Some arthropods, for example, lay their eggs with an organ called the ovipositor.Fish , amphibians, reptiles, birds and monetremata also lay eggs....
in rows of 5–6 (although as many as 15 have been recorded) on the flower-sheath of Tor-grass
Tor-grass
Tor-grass is a plant in the grass family, with a widespread distribution in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. It typically grows in calcareous grassland, and reaches 70–120 cm tall. The flowerhead is open, with 10 to 15 erect spikelets.The caterpillars of some Lepidoptera use it...
(Brachypodium pinnatum), preferring the dead sheaths of tall plants. The care taken by females over where to lay their eggs is considered the only remarkable part of the Lulworth Skipper breeding process, otherwise it is considered common.
Upon hatching, the 2.5 cm (1 in) long larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
spins a compact cocoon on the site of the eggshell. In this, it will overwinter
Overwinter
To overwinter is to pass through or wait out the winter season, or to pass through that period of the year when “winter” conditions make normal activity or even survival difficult or near impossible...
until around the third week of April, at which point it will eat its way out by making a small hole in the side of the sheath. The caterpillar will then search for tender Tor-grass blades and feed upon them by chewing out notches from the margin. During this time, it will live separately, within a tube composed of the two edges of a blade bound by cords of silk. Fresh tubes will be made as the caterpillar grows larger. Lulworth Skipper caterpillars live in the warmest zone of a grass clump, at a height of 20–40 cm (8–16 in).
The pupa
Pupa
A pupa is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation. The pupal stage is found only in holometabolous insects, those that undergo a complete metamorphosis, going through four life stages; embryo, larva, pupa and imago...
l stage lasts for about two weeks, from the beginning of June onwards, until late July. It is formed inside a loose 'nest' of silk and grass that is spun deep inside a tussock of tor grass. Imago
Imago
In biology, the imago is the last stage of development of an insect, after the last ecdysis of an incomplete metamorphosis, or after emergence from the pupa where the metamorphosis is complete...
begin to emerge in the early middle of July and finish emerging in the middle of September. Typically, they will live for five to ten days—the normal lifespan for a non-hibernating butterfly of the Lulworth's seasonal stage. They fly only in strong sunshine and tend to form discrete colonies, with the largest containing up to 100,000 individuals.
In literature
In The Return of the Native, Thomas HardyThomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy, OM was an English novelist and poet. While his works typically belong to the Naturalism movement, several poems display elements of the previous Romantic and Enlightenment periods of literature, such as his fascination with the supernatural.While he regarded himself primarily as a...
refers to the " strange copper-coloured butterflies" which are found in parts of Dorset but nowhere else; this is generally agreed to be a reference to the Lulworth Skipper.