Description :
The Dingy Skipper Butterfly has a very moth-like appearance, with dark brown upperwings and underwings of a reddish brown. Difficult to tell the difference between the sexes.
Distribution :
Common in England and Wales. Scarce in Scotland and Ireland.
Habitat:
Colonies occur in a wide range of open, sunny habitats including chalk downland, woodland rides and clearings, coastal habitats such as dunes and undercliffs, heathland, old quarries, railway lines, and waste ground. Suitable conditions occur where foodplants grow in a sparse sward, often with patches of bare ground in a sunny, sheltered situation. Taller vegetation is also required for shelter and roosting.
Diet:
Common Bird's-foot-trefoil is the usual foodplant
in all habitats. Horseshoe Vetch is also used on
calcareous soils, and Greater Bird's-foot-trefoil is
used on heavier soils.
Status:
UK Biodiversity Action Plan: Priority Species
Butterfly Conservation priority: high
European threat status: not threatened
Protected in Northern Ireland
