Among the butterflies today was the first Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris) of the season.

New insects added were Brown Oak Tortrix (Archips crataegana) and the first tumbling flower beetle (Variimorda villosa) of the season.

On the flower front the first of the Common Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris) is close to blooming.

Nature note for the day

It may be my first Small Skipper of the season, but how could I be sure it was a Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris) and not an Essex Skipper (Thymelicus lineola)? At a cursory glance they are identical. Both occur on the Downs and have the same flight season, so we can’t use that to separate them. It comes down to photos showing good detail of the antennae and in males the shape, size and intensity of the sex brand on the forewing. These are the more definitive features, but wing shape, dorsal wing margin patterning and underwing colouration are additional though less reliable (as they are variable) features to consider.

For more information on separating these skippers try this very well-illustrated explanation.

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