Hampshire and Isle of Wight Butterfly and Moth Society
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Butterfly and Moth Society
| Family: | Hesperiidae |
| Subfamily: | Pyrginae |
| Genus: | Erynnis |
| Species: | tages |
| Authority: | (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Despite its name, a freshly-emerged Dingy Skipper reveals a subtle pattern of browns and greys that is quite beautiful. However, this butterfly does live up to its name as scales are lost over time, resulting in a lacklustre and drab appearance. This is our most widely-distributed skipper, despite its decline due to changes in farming practice. Colonies can be found throughout the British Isles, including northern Scotland and Ireland where, although scarce, is found on outcrops of limestone. This butterfly's strongholds, however, are in central and southern England. This butterfly lives in discrete colonies with little interchange between them.
| #Individuals | #Tetrads | 2022 | 2023 | Abundance Trend | 2022 | 2023 | Distribution Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 1200 | -40% | 78 | 66 | -15% |
| #Records | #Individuals | Earliest Record | Latest Record | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Records | 11,286 | 38,360 | 12/04/2011 | 03/09/1993 |
| 2023 | 364 | 1,200 | 20/4/2023 | 2/9/2023 |
| Location | Date | Quantity | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earliest Record | Pilot Hill transect: Section 8 | 20/4/2023 | 1 |
| Latest Record | Old Winchester Hill | 2/9/2023 | 1 |
| Highest Count | Compton Down | 27/5/2023 | 51 |
One of the issues with 'raw' trend data is that there is inherent bias based on the number of recorders. For example, the number of individuals and populated tetrads recorded are likely to increase if there is an increase in the number of recorders. In order to remove this bias, the normalised trends use data that has been recalculated using the average number of recorders over the trend period. This normalisation gives a much better picture of the true trends.
Average #Recorders: 70.84
Average #Recorders: 70.84