ONE of the wildlife specialities of the region is that the chequered skipper thrives in Lochaber and North Argyll, its only British location.
This pretty little chocolate- brown butterfly, no bigger than a thumbnail, has yellow chequered markings. Depending on the weather, the skippers fly from mid-May to the end of June. Their favoured larval food plant is purple moor grass, and they are often found where bog myrtle also grows in conjunction.
Often thought of as a butterfly of shaded woodland, skippers can also be found on damp hillsides, particularly in proximity to burns or rivers. The adults like to nectar on blue or purple flowers, particularly bluebells, bugle and lousewort.