Thursday, 16 February 2012
Chequered Skipper Butterfly
Scientific Name:
Carterocephalus palaemon
Wingspan (mm):
Male: 29mm, Female: 31mm Description
The Chequered Skipper is easily identified and beautifully marked with it's upper wings of chequered orange buffish spots on a brown chocolate like ground colour, and it's wings edged with a pale white fringe. The underwing almost reflects the patterns of the upperwing, but the ground colour is replaced, and the colours are a more faded grey-brownish in comparison. Males are seen more frequently than females, perching in sheltered positions either next to wood edges or amongst light scrub or bracken. They dart out to investigate passing objects, defending their territory against other males and other butterfly species, or in the hope of locating a potential mate. Females are less conspicuous and fly low among grasses when egg-laying.
Distribution
A small butterfly with a darting flight that is restricted to central western Scotland.
Habitat
In Scotland the butterfly breeds in open grassland, dominated by tall Purple Moor-grass growing on wet but not waterlogged soils. Favoured sites are on the edges of open broad-leaved woodland where richer soils produce lusher growth of the foodplant, typically with scattered Bog-myrtle andbirch scrub. Most breeding areas occur below 200m at the base of a slope, often beside lochs or rivers.
Diet
The main foodplant in Scotland is Purple Moor-grass (Molinia caerulea). In England most records were on False Brome (Brachypodium sylvaticum), though a range of grasses may have been used as they are in continental Europe.
Status
The Chequered Skipper died out from England in 1976 and re-establishment trials have taken place since 1990. In Scotland, there are thought to be about ten core areas and there have been no obvious recent changes in range.