The European Skipper is a butterfly that is from North America and is also called the Essex Skipper. It is from the Hesperlidae family.
What Does the European Skipper Look Like?
The European Skipper is a very small butterfly that has a wingspan of only 2.9 centimeters. It has black tips on its antennae that helps to tell it apart from other skipper butterflies and it also has orange wings.
The European Skipper has a black border on the tips of its wings and on the underside of the butterfly, it is a light brown color.
The caterpillar of the European Skipper is green and will have yellow spots with rings and their bodies have a dark green stripe. The head of the caterpillar is brown with darker striped brown on its head.
Where Does the European Skipper Live?
The European Skipper can be found in Europe, North Africa, Central Asia and in much of the Palearctic Region such as Scandinavia.
The European Skipper can also be found in North America and in Canada.
The habitat of the European Skipper is woodlands, grasslands, marshes, roadsides and anyplace that is sunny.
Behavior of the European Skipper
The European Skipper female lays a string of eggs on the grass stems and it takes them over winter before they hatch. The caterpillar will then come out in the spring and will feed on plants around it and then will build a shelter with leaves and silk thread.
What Does the European Skipper Eat?
The European Skipper will eat grasses from the timothy grass, couch grass, creeping soft grass and tor grass. The adult European Skipper will drink nectar from flowering plants in its area.
More Facts About the European Skipper:
- Known throughout England and Wales.
- Is related to the Small Skipper, Lulworth Skipper, Large Skipper and Silver Spotted Skipper species.
- The male European Skipper has a scent pocket on its wings called a stigma that helps them to find females.
- The males are very protective of their areas.
- The European Skipper is identified by the black tips of the antennae.
What Did You Learn?
What is the European Skipper?
The European Skipper is a butterfly that is found in parts of Asia, England, UK, United States, Canada, Europe, Scandinavia and other places.
What does the European Skipper eat?
The European Skipper drinks nectar from the flowering plants in the area.
How do people tell the difference between the European Skipper and other butterflies?
The European Skipper has black tipped antennae that help to tell the difference between them and other butterflies.
What are the scent pockets found on the male European Skipper’s wings?
The scent pocket found on the male European Skipper’s wings is called a stigma. It helps to attract the female.
What is the habitat of the European Skipper?
The European Skipper lives in wooded areas, grasslands and marshes. They enjoy rough grasses.
