Dingy Skipper
Scientific Name - Erynnis tages
Flight Period - April to June (occasional 2nd brood)
Overwinters as - Larva
Habitat - Unimproved grassland, abandoned quarries and woodland rides
Larval foodplants - Common Bird’s-foot Trefoil, occasionally Greater Bird’s-foot Trefoil
Conservation status - Section 41 NERC species of principle importance, UK BAP Priority Species
Northamptonshire distribution - Localised
Best public sites to see them - Fermyn Country Park, Fineshade Wood, Old Sulehay and Ring Haw, Twywell Hills and Dales
The Dingy Skipper is a rather localised butterfly in Northamptonshire but good colonies exist at some sites. It can quite easily be confused with a moth, especially when seen in flight, but its habit of basking on open ground with its wings open makes identification easy when you get a good view. Surveying for this butterfly can often be quite productive later in the day as they go to roost on old seed heads. However, you will have to look closely as their camouflage can be very effective. The best places to see them are Fermyn Country Park in the old quarry area at the northern end, Fineshade Wood along the hard track that surrounds Westhay and also Twywell Hills and Dales in and around the gullets of the Whitestones area.
Dingy Skipper Distribution - 2018 to 2022
Dingy Skipper
Dingy Skipper
Dingy Skipper - underwing. Amazing camouflage on an old Knapweed seedhead
Dingy Skipper - egg
Dingy Skipper
Dingy Skipper