A small butterfly with a darting flight, the Essex skipper (Thymelicus lineola) is very similar to the small skipper. They can be told apart by the forward-facing flattish part of the antenna tip: in the Essex Skipper this face is black, whereas in the Small Skipper it is orange or brown. Because of its similarity to the small skipper, the Essex skipper was not recognised as a species in the UK until 1889, when it was discovered in Essex - hence the name.
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