Ochlodes sylvanus

Large Skipper (Ochlodes sylvanus)

2023 photographs highlighted in green. Click on any photograph to go to an enlarged picture, or simply scroll down the page.


16255_male_Var_18Jun09	13450_male_Côte-d'Or_22Jul08	21905_male_Hautes-Alpes_11Jul10	27922_male_Rhône_28Aug11

42829_male_Var_22May17	46611_male_Alpes-Maritimes_16Jul19	48097_male_Hautes-Pyrénées_4Jul21	46407_female_Hautes-Pyrénées_10Jul19

29635_female_Var_2Jun12	27925_male_Rhône_28Aug11	29870_male_Alpes-de-Haute-Provence_15Jun12	49449_male_Var_26Jun

Sylvanus is superficially similar to the Silver-spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma) and a comparison is given on the comma page.

It is generally widespread, although not usually in large numbers, and has a wide altitude range.

The sexes can be differentiated by the upf where the black sex brand of the male is prominent. The male also is generally more lightly marked than the female, especially at the wing margin.

This species was formerly known as Ochlodes venatus.

ref	sex	observations	alt. m
16255	M	*a ground colour so pale it could almost be confused with the Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris) but the black heavy sex brand is a sure pointer to sylvanus.*	780
13450	M	a male, as indicated by the strong black sex brands on the upf. A very narrow forewing.	320
21905	M	*a typical male sylvanus.*	1750
27922	M	a quite dark male, the sex brand being rather weak and indistinct against this background.	200
42829	M	a typical male, in territorial pose, as are most of the males on this page.	220
46611	M	a male, with limited contrast between the markings.	1000
48097	M	a rather dark male from the Hautes-Pyrénées, albeit not at high altitude. A very photogenic species.	1250
46407	F	a female, with limited contrast between the markings.	1700
29635	F	a female, as clearly indicated by the lack of a sex brand.	20
27925	M	*the underside is quite distinctly different to comma, the spots being much paler and less contrasted.*	200
29870	M	a male, taking salts from the ground, showing no unh markings, not even vestigial.	1100
49449	M	a male, the hindwing rather paler than usual but with the post-discal spots clearly visible.	220