Hesperia comma

Often confused with the large skipper Ochlodes sylvanus, this species is easily distinguished by the numerous white spots on the underside hindwings, and the tips of the upper forewings tend to be darker than those of the large skipper. The upper side is very similar to the Large Skipper however it's spots are often more yellow. The dorsal side of the wings typically are orange and dark brown on the edge of the wings. The ventral side is often a green or olive color. The white spots are slightly more pale on females.^[7] Females tend to be larger than the males.^[8] 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.^[9] 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.^[6] In North America the species is mostly concentrated to the West Coast as the Sierra Nevada and Transverse Ranges act as barriers making it difficult for to migrating past it. North American populations were also found to have more genetic diversity than Eurasian populations.^[10] It also has subspecies in North America. In the UK it is rare and restricted to chalk downlands of southern England.^[2]

At first the name comma was given to both this species and the Large Skipper. The species at first was called the Pearl Skipper instead of Silver Spotted Skipper. It was first described in the UK in 1666 by Merrett. At this time it had no scientific name yet. Later on the name was changed to the August Skipper in but in 1772 the name Pearl Skipper was ascribed to the species again. The name Silver Spotted Skipper was ascribed later on however many experts preferred the Pearl Skipper name. Later on the Silver Spotted Skipper become more favored by authors and experts. ^[2][12]

While Sheep's Fescues (Festicua ovina) and F. liviensis^[15] 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. ^[16] It has been observed to visit other species of thistles, scabious , and hawkbit as well for nectar.^[8] In the UK adults on a range of nectariferous flowers with no preference observed so far.^[2]

The species flies rapidly often hovering low to the ground often making stops. They can change their direction mid flight sharply. Their flight is one of the fastest of their group. Often adults are feeding or basking in the sunlight. They have been observed to be fond of perching on low lying thistles.^[12] When they reach a temperature below 20 C they become less active and aren't out as much.^[2][17]

It's theorized the species first began migrating to the UK either during the Late Glacial Zones I and II (The Late Glacial Period)^[4] or during the Holocene.^[3] According to the Late Glacial Zone theory, even though the climate during the period often led to a decrease in available habitat there was a great range of host and foodplants with in open habitats that allowed them and other butterfly species to begin colonizing the British Isles. Areas such as the western Scottish isles were still isolated due to being out off by sea barriers caused by isostatic depression. ^[4]

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.^[4]

The species population began going down in the UK due to decreasing habitat. A decrease in natural grazing and wild rabbit populations allowed more fields to become overgrown which are an unfavorable environment for oviposition.^[9] Additionally agriculture destroys habitat butterflies use and equipment can destroy ant mounds which often are used as oviposition sites as the mounds.^[5]

Concerted conservation efforts in the UK, backed by government agencies, have seen this once-threatened species thriving in certain areas. A reintroduction of domestic livestock and rabbits during the 1970s and 1980s have helped to restore suitable habitats for populations. At least 144 habitat patches have increased in quality however colonization by new populations have been limited with most colonization being limited to East Sussex. ^[18]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.^[6]

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  Crab spider (Misumena vatia) with prey
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  Extreme close-up of head of the Hesperia comma butterfly

• List of butterflies of Great Britain
• List of butterflies of Canada