The dingy skipper is a small butterfly with a moth-like appearance and a buzzing, low, darting flight. It emerges in May and can have a second brood in August if the weather is good. It prefers open habitats, including chalk grassland, heathland, woodland clearings, coastal dunes, old quarries and waste ground; on sunny days, it can be spotted basking on bare ground with open wings. The caterpillars' preferred foodplant is common bird's-foot-trefoil. On heavier soil, it will eat horseshoe vetch or greater bird's-foot-trefoil.
How to identify
The dingy skipper has grey-brown upperwings with mottled markings. Its underwings are more reddish-brown, with two rows of white spots. It can easily be confused with the grizzled skipper, but is not as brightly patterned. It might also be confused with the Mother Shipton moth or burnet companion moth.
Did you know?
In dull weather and at night, the dingy skipper perches on top of dead flowerheads in a moth-like fashion; it curves its wings in a way that is not seen in other butterflies.
