ÿþ<html> <head> <title>Regional Species - Dingy Skipper</title> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <meta name="keywords" content="Dingy Skipper, Erynnis tages"> <meta name="description" content="The Dingy Skipper butterfly in North Wales"> <LINK REL="StyleSheet" HREF="../../branch.css" type="text/css"> <SCRIPT language="JavaScript"> <!-- if (parent.location.href == self.location.href) window.location.href = "../../index.html?species/dingy_skipper/index.html"; // --> </SCRIPT> </head> <body class="background"> <a name="top"></a> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" width="100%"> <tr> <td width="1" bgcolor="#cccccc"><img src="../../images/dot.gif" border="0" width="1" height="1"></td> <td valign="top" class="content"> <blockquote> <SPAN class="page-title">Regional Species</SPAN> <br><br><br> <SPAN class="article-subtitle">Dingy Skipper</SPAN><br><SPAN class="scientific-name">Erynnis tages</SPAN> <br><br> <table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" width="408"> <tr><td><img src="photo_1.jpg" width="400" height="296" alt=" Dingy Skipper" border="2"></td></tr> <tr><td><h5>Photograph by Janet Graham (Harlech Forest)</h5></td></tr> </table> </blockquote> </td> <td valign="top" class="content"> <!-- NAVIGATION ELEMENT - BACK TO SPECIES INDEX PAGE --> <table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td><a href="../index.html" onFocus="this.blur();"><img src="../../images/right.gif" width="19" height="19" border="0"></a></td> <td class="links"><a href="../index.html">Regional Species</a></td> </tr> </table> <br clear="all"> <p>&nbsp;</p> <SPAN class="subtitle">About the Dingy Skipper</SPAN> <p class="content">This has become an uncommon butterfly in North Wales, with most remaining populations occurring on industrial (&#39;brownfield&#39;) sites in NE Wales, on Anglesey and in a few locations on the Lleyn Peninsula. There is also an isolated colony in Harlech Forest. All sightings are of interest and should be reported.</p> <p class="content">The habitat requirements are for infertile land with sparse vegetation, specifically including the principal larval foodplant, Common Bird s-foot Trefoil (<i>Lotus corniculatus</i>). Areas of bare ground are desirable as is an element of taller vegetation such as scrub. It is important that any grazing should be very light because the female butterfly selects the tallest, most prominent shoots on which to lay her eggs. Tightly cropped <i>Lotus</i> is, therefore, unsuitable. It is interesting that the Common Blue, which shares the same foodplant, is able to survive heavier grazing pressure because that species does not have the same requirement for tall shoots. </p> <p class="content">This butterfly is rather aptly named and could easily be confused with several day flying moths, such as <a href="..\Mother_Shipton/index.html"><u>Mother Shipton</u></a>, <a href="..\Burnet_Companion/index.html"><u>Burnet Companion</u></a> and <a href="..\Common_Heath/index.html"><u>Common Heath</u></a>, all of which occur in the same habitat at the same time of year.</p> <p class="content">&nbsp;</p> <p class="content">Further information available from the <a href="http://www.trawsgoed.com/nwleps.aspx?tp=but&Let=D" target="noframe"> NW Lepidoptera Database</a>, including access to detailed records, maps, flight-time charts and photographs.</p> </td> </tr> <tr><td colspan="3" class="sidebar">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="../../images/top.gif" width="10" height="10" hspace="4" border="0"><a href="#top"><SPAN class="thispage">Top of page</SPAN></a> | <a href="../index.html"><SPAN class="thispage">Regional Species</SPAN></a></td></tr> <tr><td colspan="3" align="right"> <table border="0" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="0"><tr><td align="right"><h5><SCRIPT language=JavaScript src="../../_scripts/copyright.js"></SCRIPT></h5></td></tr></table> </td></tr> </table> </body> </html>