Lulworth Skipper

Lulworth Skipper

Thymelicus acteon

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Istanbul

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%

9 Verified sightings at Istanbul
53 In all 4 parks From 2019 to 2026
June Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Lulworth Skipper

The Lulworth skipper (Thymelicus acteon) is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. Its name is derived from Lulworth Cove in the county of Dorset, England, where the first specimens in Great Britain were collected in 1832 by English naturalist James Charles Dale.

The species occurs locally across Central Europe, Asia Minor and North Africa, where its population is considered stable. Its numbers have declined in Northern Europe, leading to its European status of "vulnerable". Its range in Britain is restricted to the south coast of Dorset, however it is locally abundant and its numbers currently are perhaps at their greatest since its discovery there.

With a wingspan of 24 to 28 millimetres, females being larger than males, the Lulworth skipper is a small butterfly, the smallest member of the genus Thymelicus in Europe and among the smallest butterflies in Britain. Aside from the size difference, the sexes are distinguished by females having a distinct circle of golden marks on each forewing. Due to their likeness to the rays around the eye of a peacock's feather, these are often known as "sun-ray" markings, and they can faintly appear on males.

The Lulworth skipper was... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Picos de Europa National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~20%
2 Aigüestortes National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~10%
3 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
~10%
4 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Athens 🇬🇷 Greece
~10%
2 Barcelona 🇪🇸 Spain
~10%
3 Istanbul 🇹🇷 Turkey
~10%
4 Madrid 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%
5 Lisbon 🇵🇹 Portugal
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Lulworth Skipper in Istanbul?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Lulworth Skipper sighting in Istanbul on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 190th most-seen of the 266 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Lulworth Skipper in Istanbul?

June

In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Lulworth Skipper in Istanbul on a given day, against under 5% in July to May, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Lulworth Skipper?

Between noon and 3 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Lulworth Skipper sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Istanbul the best place to see a Lulworth Skipper?

Among the best

Of the 5 cities where we can rate Lulworth Skipper sightings, Istanbul ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Athens (Greece, about 10%) and Barcelona (Spain, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Lulworth Skipper live in Istanbul?

Same family: Hesperiidae

The closest relatives of the Lulworth Skipper that you can see in Istanbul (family Hesperiidae, Skippers) are Mallow Skipper (about 10%) and Far Eastern Large Skipper (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Lulworth Skipper sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Lulworth Skipper is recorded against all the insects logged in Istanbul (9 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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