The Small Skipper butterfly can be seen from July til August in "Netley Field".
The butterfly small, golden in colour and can be seen flying around the grasses and nectaring on flowers. Before the sun sets it is possible to see a groups of this butterfly together, going to roost on the vegitation (grass heads).
There is a simular butterfly called the Essex Skipper. Telling the difference between the two species can be tricky. The Small Skipper has brown antene whilst the Essex Skipper has black antene. The Small Skipper even has eyelashes!
The butterfly only has one generation a year. The eggs are laid inside the leaf sheath of
Yorkshire-fog grass. When the female lays her eggs she walks backwards down the grass steam. Up to eight eggs can be laid.
When the larvae hatch they spin a silken cocoon inside the leaf sheath. The larvae over-winter inside this cocoon.
