Attributes of Thymelicus lineola
European Skipper
Thymelicus lineola (Ochsenheimer, 1808)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Wings are brassy burnt orange; upperside of both wings with black borders and black on the outer portions of the veins. The male forewing has a narrow black stigma. A pale form (pallida) is very rare.
Wing Span: 1 - 1 1/8 inches (2.5 - 2.9 cm).
Life History: To find receptive females, males patrol grassy areas with a low meandering flight. Females lay eggs in strings on the host plant stem; the eggs overwinter and hatch the following spring. Caterpillars eat leaves and live in shelters of leaves tied together with silk. Adult skippers roost at night on grass stalks and in the morning bask with their wings at a 70 degree angle.
Flight: One brood from mid-May to mid-July.
Caterpillar Hosts: Timothy (Phleum pratense) and other grasses.
Adult Food: Nectar from low-growing flowers including orange hawkweed, thistles, ox-eye daisy, fleabane, white clover, red clover, selfheal, Deptford pink, common milkweed, and swamp milkweed.
Habitat: Open grassy places including meadows, hayfields, pastures, abandoned homesteads, grassy road edges.
Range: This skipper was introduced accidently to North America in 1910 through London, Ontario. Eastern population: Newfoundland west to eastern North Dakota, south to southern Illinois and western South Carolina. Western population: western Colorado, Idaho, Montana, and British Columbia. The range is still expanding, perhaps due to the relocation of eggs in hay shipments.
Conservation: Not required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: Caterpillars of the European skipper can be pests on timothy grass.
Taxonomy Notes:
Images of Thymelicus lineola
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The map below displays all verified sighting records in the BAMONA database for this species. Each record is indicated with a yellow dot. The orange dots on the map provide access to information about the 200 most recently verified sightings of this species. In some instances, there are several records at the same location. Use the table view to access these records.
Instructions: Click on the map and move your mouse to pan.
Zoom by using the plus [+] and minus [-] on the left side of the map.
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The fifty most recently verified sightings are below. See more recently verified sightings of all species.
| Observation Date | Submitter | Region |
Verified Date |
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June 10, 2011 | Shane Patterson | Poweshiek County, Iowa, United States | April 25, 2012 | Details |
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July 04, 2010 | Jim Brighton | Penobscot County, Maine, United States | December 24, 2011 | Details |
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June 18, 2005 | RaisingButterflies.org | Wasatch County, Utah, United States | November 29, 2011 | Details |
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June 20, 2009 | RaisingButterflies.org | Wasatch County, Utah, United States | November 29, 2011 | Details |
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July 10, 2011 | dan.in.crystal.lake | Ontario, Canada | November 19, 2011 | Details |
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July 01, 2011 | SemperAugustus | Oakland County, Michigan, United States | October 19, 2011 | Details |
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August 01, 2011 | plex1ppus | Flathead County, Montana, United States | October 02, 2011 | Details |
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June 29, 2011 | SemperAugustus | Oakland County, Michigan, United States | August 14, 2011 | Details |
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July 01, 2011 | SemperAugustus | Oakland County, Michigan, United States | August 14, 2011 | Details |
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June 28, 2006 | Eugene Karolinskiy | St Joseph County, Indiana, United States | August 13, 2011 | Details |
| July 24, 2011 | davidwdroppers | Whatcom County, Washington, United States | July 28, 2011 | Details | |
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June 25, 2011 | cyric | Bristol County, Rhode Island, United States | July 19, 2011 | Details |
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June 25, 2011 | cyric | Bristol County, Rhode Island, United States | July 19, 2011 | Details |
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June 30, 2011 | BeaLaporte | Ontario, Canada | July 12, 2011 | Details |
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June 16, 2010 | Mark Wheeler | Washington County, Minnesota, United States | July 10, 2011 | Details |
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July 03, 2011 | Jackpine | Cass County, Minnesota, United States | July 06, 2011 | Details |
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June 30, 2011 | Calex | Ontario, Canada | July 02, 2011 | Details |
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July 15, 2009 | James Fox | Oakland County, Michigan, United States | June 29, 2011 | Details |
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June 20, 2007 | Matt ODonnell | Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States | June 23, 2011 | Details |
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June 16, 2011 | Cheryl Jennings | Tucker County, West Virginia, United States | June 22, 2011 | Details |
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June 19, 2011 | BeaLaporte | Ontario, Canada | June 20, 2011 | Details |
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June 16, 2011 | BeaLaporte | Ontario, Canada | June 17, 2011 | Details |
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June 15, 2011 | BeaLaporte | Ontario, Canada | June 16, 2011 | Details |
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June 05, 2011 | K Stilwell | Tazewell County, Virginia, United States | June 12, 2011 | Details |
| June 09, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Brown, Richard) | Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| June 11, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Reinoehl, Jack) | Hillsdale County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| June 14, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Keilb, Mike) | Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| June 14, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Swales, John) | Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| June 16, 1995 | Ranger Steve Mueller (Steven J. Mueller) | Kent County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| June 16, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Swales, John with Martin Bialecki, Mike and Susan Kielb ) | Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| June 17, 1995 | Ranger Steve Mueller (Steven J. Mueller) | Kent County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| June 21, 1995 | Ranger Steve Mueller (Steven J. Mueller) | Kent County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| June 22, 1995 | legacy.reporter (McWhirter, Doug) | Otsego County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| June 23, 1995 | Ranger Steve Mueller (Steven J. Mueller) | Kent County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| June 23, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Swales, John with Don Harvey, Mike & Susan Kielb, Warren Wagner, Roger Wykes ) | Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| June 28, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Peters, David) | Saginaw County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| July 07, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Keilb, Mike) | Cheboygan County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| July 07, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Heuvelhorst, Bonnie with Rick Baetsen, Denny Brooks, Katherine Carothers, Janea Little, Willian Scharf, Myrtle Wilke) | Chippewa County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| July 07, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Allen, Steve, Nina Crepas, Chip and Julie Francke, Lois Richmond) | Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| July 07, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Franche, Chip with Steve Allen, Nina Crepas, Julie Francke, Lois Richmond) | Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| July 07, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Hicks, Tim with Mary Hicks, Ken Sherburn, John Walhout) | Muskegon County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| July 08, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Keilb, Mike) | Baraga County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| July 08, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Keilb, Mike) | Houghton County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| July 08, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Heuvelhorst, Bonnie with Rick Baetsen, DennyBrooks, Katherine Carothers, Andy Carter, Mark Jaunzems, Stephen Kay, Karen Lamonte, Janea Little, Mason Schafer, Melvin Schafer, Richard Urbanek, Myrtle Wilke, Robert Wood) | Schoolcraft County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| July 11, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Keilb, Mike) | Gogebic County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| July 11, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Essenmacher, Monica) | Huron County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| July 11, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Webster, Ken) | Oakland County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| July 11, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Keilb, Mike) | Ontonagon County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| July 14, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Little, Janea, with Gene Beckham, Denny Brooks, Katherine Carothers, Donna & Ralph Czerepinski, Monica Essenmacher, Bob Lederhouse, Betty Secrist, Wendy Skory, Cathy Yanacek) | Midland County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| July 14, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Nowicki, Tim with Joe Derek, Erica & Lee Hehman, Don Hodges) | Oakland County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details |
