Dingy skipper
Erynnis tages
The dingy skipper is a small, inconspicuous butterfly. Its grey-brown wings have mottled brown markings and two rows of small white spots. At night and on dull days they roost on flower heads or grasses with their wings folded back so that they look like moths. Ideal habitats are disused quarries, railways and other post grassland industrial sites. The adult butterflies typically live in small colonies of less than 50 individuals. There is usually one brood a year with eggs laid on birdsfoot trefoil and other closely related species. Low swards of this species with patches of bare ground are preferred by the butterflies.
The dingy skipper is locally distributed throughout Britain and Ireland, but has declined seriously in recent years. It is a UK biodiversity Action Plan priority species. One of the main threats is loss of suitable habitat due to the encroachment of tall herbaceous vegetation and scrub as well as loss of brownfield sites for development.
The Tees Valley is a stronghold for the dingy skipper. There are colonies throughout the brownfield sites of the Tees Estuary. Key sites include South Gare/Coatham Marsh and dunes, Maze Park, Portrack Marsh and Greythorpe.
