You may have noticed many small orange coloured butterflies around lately feeding on nectars from various flowers such as this purple thistle. These are Skippers, often termed as an intermediate group between butterflies and moths. This means that they have characteristics of both groups within Lepidoptera. Skipper butterflies have furry bodies similar to moths, but fly during the day and sit at rest similar to butterflies. They are called skippers because of their short flights, which are often quite erratic. / SANDRA JAMES.
