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| UK Status |
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| Resident |
A species which is continually Resident in the UK with stable breeding populations. |
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| Migrant |
A species which occurs as a Migrant in the UK. It may be able to breed here although they are usually unable to survive our winter months. Migrants are normally reported in the UK every year. |
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| Rare Migrant |
A species which occurs as a Rare Migrant in the UK. It may able to breed here although they are usually unable to survive our winter months. Rare Migrants may not be seen for many years. |
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| Extinct |
A species which is Extinct in the UK, usually as a result of habitat loss. |
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| Introduction |
A species which ocurs in the UK as an accidental introduction. |
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Description
The Large Chequered Skipper is thought to have been an accidental introduction to the UK. It only occurred on Jersey where it was always known by its French name Le Miroir. It was first seen in 1946 probably as a result of hay being brought over to the island during the period of German occupation during the Second World War. Although the butterfly persisted on the island for several decades the last confirmed sighting was in 1996 and it is now thought to be extinct on Jersey.
Habitat
Sheltered damp grassland where the larval food plants occur.
Larval Food Plants
On Jersey the larvae of the Large Chequered Skipper fed on Purple Moor-grass(Molinia caerulea) but on mainland Europe it feeds on a variety of other grasses including False Brome (Brachypodium sylvaticum) Purple Small-reed (Calamagrostis canescens), and Common Reed(Phragmites australis). |
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| Distribution |
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| The Large Chequered Skipper was found on a small site to the north of the Channel Island of Jersey. Over time the site became overgrown and gradually became unsuitable for the butterfly and by 1985 numbers were very low. It is thought to have been extinct since 1996. |
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| Where to see the Large Chequered Skipper |
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| Population Trends |
| species status |
the Large Chequered Skipper is a extinct species in Britain |
| population trend1 |
(1995-2004)  not applicable |
(1976-2004) not applicable |
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1Fox, R., Asher. J., Brereton. T., Roy, D & Warren, M.
(2006) The State of Butterflies in Britain & Ireland, Pices, Oxford. |
| UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) Status |
| UK BAP status2 |
not assessed (link) |
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| 2 For more information about the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) species status, visit www.ukbap.org.uk. |
| IUCN Category Status |
| IUCN category3 |
 not applicable4 |
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3 Fox, R., Warren, M & Brereton, T.
(2007) New Red List of British Butterflies. Butterfly Conservation, Wareham.
4 More information about IUCN categories available here. |
| Find Out More Online* |
| More information about the Large Chequered Skipper can be found on Peter Eeles excellent UK Butterflies web site. |
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| References |
| The information on this web site comes from a variety of freely available resources including books, academic reports and web sites alongside my own personal observations of butterflies. The species descriptions are currently in the process of being edited (spring 2009) to include new data, recent personal observations and referencing following a major update to the site.
A complete list of references mentioned in the text on this web site is available here. |
| * External Links Disclaimer |
| This web site includes links to information provided by external web sites which are not in any way under the control of www.britishbutterflies.co.uk. We cannot, therefore, be held responsible for the content of external web pages. |
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