Lulworth skipper form discrete colonies, with the largest containing up to 100,000 individuals. In the novel "The Return of the Native", by Thomas Hardy, a possible reference is made to Lulworth skippers in the "strange amber-coloured butterflies" which "were never seen elsewhere." Lulworth skipper The Lulworth skipper ("Thymelicus acteon") is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. Its name is derived from Lulworth Cove in the county of Dorset, England, where the first specimens in Great Britain were collected in 1832 by English naturalist James Charles Dale. The species occurs locally across Central Europe, Asia Minor and North Africa, where its population is
West Lulworth a geological formation of caves with blowholes, which lies aside from the village. West Lulworth village has a first school, a youth hostel, several small hotels, pubs and a general store. Commercial fishing is based at the cove, together with scallop diving and leisure trips. The stores and hotels line the route between the town and the cove, with several small stores selling locally caught seafood. West Lulworth is part of West Purbeck electoral ward. This ward extends northwards from the Cove to East Stoke and the intermediate area. The total population of the ward at the 2011 Census was