Large skipper with eggs

[Padfield]

This female large skipper seemed perfectly happy nectaring in the sun, apparently oblivious to the eggs dripping out of her abdomen! I thought skipper eggs were ribbed - are these correctly formed, or premature, or unfertilised?





Guy

[Dave McCormick]

hmm, I have not seen anything like that before, but I suppose if they were unfirtilised the female would not need to be at the foodplant to deposit them, so anywhere would be fine, maybe like chickens that lay eggs all over the place, unless a the cockreal fertilizes the hen, then she puts them in the nest. In buttefly terms, the nest being the foodplant.

[Pete Eeles]

Hi Guy - I'm not sure what has resulted in this poor critter dragging her offspring around ... but the eggs look to be the correct shape to teh best of my knowledge. Large Skipper eggs aren't ribbed (I think that only applies to the Dingy and Grizzled skippers as far as British butterflies are concerned). The indented side of the otherwise-spherical egg is, presumably, where it should be attached to a blade of grass.

Cheers,

- Pete

[Padfield]

Thanks, Pete and Dave.

So if those are correctly formed eggs I guess she must have got glue all over herself when she stuck them on.As I say, she seemed perfectly happy - I don't think she knew they were there.

Guy