Chequered skipper  (Carterocephalus palaemon)

Species information

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Learn about the scientific name of this species and how it fits into the tree of life at Nature Navigator.

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Glossary

  • Coppicing: traditional form of woodland management in which trees are cut close to the base of the trunk. Re-growth occurs in the form of many thin poles. Woodlands are cut in this way on rotation, producing a mosaic of different stages of re-growth.
  • Hibernation: a winter survival strategy characteristic of some mammals in which an animal’s metabolic rate slows down and a state of deep sleep is attained. Whilst hibernating, animals survive on stored reserves of fat that they have accumulated in summer. In insects, the correct term for hibernation is ‘diapause’, a temporary pause in development and growth. Any stage of the lifecycle (eggs, larvae, pupae or adults) may enter diapause, which is typically associated with winter.
  • Pupates: the process of forming a pupa, the stage in an insect's development, when huge changes occur that reorganise the larval form into the adult form. In butterflies the pupa is also called a chrysalis.
  • Re-introduction: an attempt to establish a native species back into an area where it previously occurred.
  • Rides: often the footpaths and access tracks which run through and divide blocks of trees in woodland. Many rides contain a mixture of rich flora and structure, and provide different habitat conditions for a range of wildlife.

References

  1. Carter, D. (1992) Butterflies and Moths.Dorling Kindersley, London.
  2. Asher, J., Warren, M., Fox, R., Harding, P., Jeffcoate, G. and Jeffcoate, S. (2001) The Millennium Atlas of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland.Oxford University Press, Oxford.
  3. UK Biodiversity Action Plan: Species Action Plan (October, 2002)
    http://www.ukbap.org.uk/UKPlans.aspx?ID=192
  4. Ravenscroft, N.O.M. and Warren, M.S. (1996) Butterfly Conservation Species Action Plan for the Chequered Skipper (Carterocephalus palaemon).Butterfly Conservation, Wareham. Available at: http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/uploads/cs_action_plan.pdf
  5. Carter, D. and Hargreaves, B. (1986) A Field Guide to Caterpillars of Butterflies and Moths in Britain and Europe.William Collins & Sons Ltd, London.
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