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Can anyone help me out - is this golden skipper an Essex? I'm pretty sure that it is as it has black ends to the antennae but I thought it best to check as the androconial line appears straight in ever other shot except the bottom one here...
Cheers

Wurzel

Hi Wurzel,
It's a Small Skipper. The sex brand is longer than in male Essex, slightly curved (straight in Essex), sub-parallel to the forewing anterior margin (parallel in Essex) and crosses a vein (doesn't do this in Essex). Only the topside of the antennae are visible and their dark brown colour is irrelevant in determining Small/Essex. The underside of an Essex Skipper's antennae are glossy black, giving the appearance of being pushed down into a pad of black ink.
Neil

Yes, the males are easy to tell apart - the sex brand is straight and short rather than curved in your Small Skipper.

And the shape of the antennal clubs is wrong for Essex, which are stubbier and rounded rather than elongated. As a general rule Essex emerge a couple of weeks later into the season than do Small. But this year I guess anything goes!

Gibster.

Thanks for the ID help - as with everything the minute someone points out an identification feature (like the sex brand) it all becomes so clear, and then you fell like a muppet for not seeing it so easily in the first place!
Oh well now I know!

Cheers again, have a goodun

Wurzel

Thanks for the useful tips here. It seems that the sex brand in the males is the best field marker but Essex girls remain tricky! I have loads of photos where I'm really not sure. It's easy to be misled by the 'black tips' mentioned in all the field guides, since it really is only the underside view that counts, especially when Small Skipper tips can look pretty dark in photos.

I liked the comment about antenna-tip shape and will try to use that information in the coming flight season.

Mike

100% Essex from last year...

Dave

millerd wrote:100% Essex from last year...

Yep - that one really has read the field guides and done an intensive course of dipping its antennae in the ink bottle!

Mike

Cheers for all the useful pointers - I tried my luck this weekend and found an Essex (see personla diaries - and this is when actually it is still a Small Skipper!) and indeed the difference between the males is quite striking once you get your eye in!

Again thanks for helping out

Have a goodun

Wurzel

Same question: This is in Essex, right?



Black tips to antennae: Check
Sex brand parallel to wing edge: Check
Pointy wings: Check

Dilettante - yes, it's Essex.

Guy

Thanks, Guy. That's another tick on my list