The large skipper (Ochlodes venata) is the most common member of the skipper family and can be found on grasslands, open spaces and especially on the edges of woodland where there is lots of shrubby vegetation. Adults can be seen throughout most of the summer from June until early September.
The Latin name of venata gives a clue as how to identify this butterfly as the male has a dark, almost black vein running across the fore wings. It is also rather patchy, an orange and brown pattern whereas the other common skipper, the small skipper has a much more consistent orange all over the wings with a dark border. Naturally the large skipper is also larger than the small skipper!
The male large skipper can be quite territorial, a bit like a dragonfly, settling on a prominent piece of vegetation in the middle of its patch and then swiftly launching itself to deter intruders.
The food plants of the large skipper larvae are cocks-foot and slender false-brome, both common grasses.