Essex Skipper

The Essex Skipper (Thymelicus lineola) is a butterfly of the Hesperiidae family. In North America, it is known as the European Skipper.

With a wingspan of 2.5 to 2.9 cm it is very similar in appearance to the Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris. They can be told apart by the undersides of the tips of the antennae: the Essex skipper's are black whereas those of the Small Skipper are orange. This butterfly occurs throughout much of the Palaearctic region. Its range spreads from southern Scandinavia through Europe to North Africa and east to Central Asia It was only identified in the UK in 1889 and its range is expanding both in England and in northern Europe. In North America, this butterfly was accidentally introduced in 1910 via London, Ontario and has spread across southern Canada and to several northern US states.