Hesperia comma, the silver-spotted skipper or common branded skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is known as silver-spotted skipper in Europe and common branded skipper in North America where the butterfly Epargyreus clarus, a spread-winged skipper, also has the common name of "Silver-Spotted Skipper". Originally the species was known as the Pearl Skipper but as time went on the name Silver-Spotted Skipper began being ascribed to it more frequently. The larvae typically grow up in grazed areas with not too much overgrown vegetation and feed on host plants such as Sheep's Fescues. The larvae form tents made of silk and grass blades and as they pupate form cocoons out of the same materials near the ground. Females tend to be larger than the males. Their flight periods rarely overlap; in Britain the large skipper has all but finished when the silver-spotted takes to the wing in August. While it's wings are the most notable feature, the thorax and abdomen actually make up 70% of the body mass of most specimens. The thorax mass allows the butterflies to have more flight muscles allowing them to fly longer as some habitat patches are separated by large distances. The silver-spotted skipper prefers warm calcareous sites and has a wide distribution as far south as North Africa, northwards throughout Europe to the Arctic and eastwards across Asia to China and Japan. In the UK they often will inhabit chalk hills and are very rare to spot in the UK outside of certain regions in the South. It also has subspecies in North America. In the UK it is rare and restricted to chalk downlands of southern England.
Life cycle
thumb|320px|alt=Drawing with caption silver-spotted skipper, egg, natural size and enlarged; caterpillar|Early life stages
Egg
Females are univoltine laying eggs only once a year and lay single eggs during August and September in areas in short turf, up to 4cm usually around ant mounds as they provide a more open space with less dense vegetation that provides a favorable environment for the larvae. Often since the eggs are laid in heavily graved areas many eggs are eaten by animals. Females also tend to choose areas with warm microclimates as larvae prefer warm temperatures. Typically eggs are laid on host plants such as Festuca ovina agg. (Sheep's Fescues) in the UK. The eggs are a pale cream color or pearl white. This species overwinters as an egg for around 7 months and hatches in March through April
Adult
thumb|Silver Skipper Adult
Butterflies often emerge in a single generation from late July to mid September. Like any univoltine butterflies, the males emerge first before the females. Males will search for females by perching on low vegetation and pursuing any flying insect. If a female is found and she is a virgin, the male will attempt to force the female into the vegetation to mate. During particularly warm If the female is not willing she will jerk her wings and crawl away from the male. If another male is found the two will fight for territory in a upward, spiraling flight. Females will then seek out oviposition sites and after laying each egg will feed before laying another. is used as a host plant for larvae, adults get their nectar from different plants. In the UK they have been noticed to feed on Asteraceae, Dipsaceae, Cirsium acaualon (Stemless Thistle), Centaurea scabiosa (Greater Knapweed), Hypericum (St. John's Wart), Trifolium (Clover), Lotus corniculatus (Common bird's foot trefoil), Campanula rotundifolia (Bellflower), Gentianella amarella (Autumn Gentian), Euphrasia (Eyebright), Origanum vulgare (Oregano), Prunella vulgaris (Self-Heal), and Echium vulgare (Viper's-bugloss). However of all these plants usually Compositae and Dipsacea are the plants most commonly feed on by observation. It has been observed to visit other species of thistles, scabious , and hawkbit as well for nectar.
Origin in the UK
It's theorized the species first began migrating to the UK either during the Late Glacial Zones I and II (The Late Glacial Period)
However in the Late Glacial Zone III period the climate began to become colder driving many species out of the British Isles possibly including Hesperia comma. There is however some evidence found in Late Glacial pollen spectra that suggests some colonies of Hesperia comma could have lived in the South-Eastern English woodland fringe and Channel Lands.Climate change has also had an unexpected effect on increasing populations in the UK. Warming climate has allowed the species to distribute into areas that were once too cold for them, additionally it stays warmer longer allowing females more time to find sites to lay eggs.