Action Plan: Dingy Skipper

The dingy skipper is a small well camouflaged brown and grey butterfly and is best seen on sunny days. During dull days or at night they rest with their wings folded back and are often mistaken for a day-flying moth.

They require a habitat with an abundance of the larval food plants, common bird’s foot-trefoil, greater bird’s foot-trefoil or horseshoe vetch. Bare ground is also important for this species, as much of it’s time is spent basking in the sun with its wings wide open. Habitats include woodland rides and clearings, chalk downland, sand dune systems, heathland, old quarries, railway lines and waste ground. Many of the key sites in Northumberland tend to be post industrial sites in the south east of the county. As the dingy skipper is an inactive species they are unlikely to colonise new areas of habitat unless they are in close proximity to existing populations. Populations and their habitats can therefore become increasingly fragmented. In recent decades the Dingy skipper has had a 42% decline nationally.