Lulworth skipper to the Canary Islands, displays colour variations, with the uppersides of the forewing showing defined yellow–orange markings. The butterfly is sexually dimorphic; females have a distinct circle of golden marks on each forewing, often called "sun-ray" markings due to their likeness to the rays around the eye of a peacock's feather. Males sometimes have these markings, though they are noticeably fainter (see "Illustration 1"). The Lulworth skipper is found locally across southern and central Europe, Asia Minor and North Africa, where its population is considered stable. In northern Europe, its numbers and range have severely declined, most notably in the
Lulworth skipper the "Thymelicus" genus. Of Britain's five "golden" skippers—the others being the silver-spotted skipper ("Hesperia comma"), large skipper ("Ochlodes sylvanus"), small skipper ("Thymelicus sylvestris") and Essex skipper ("Thymelicus lineola")—the Lulworth is both the smallest and darkest. Beyond its small size, it is distinguished particularly by its dark, dun-coloured wings that appear with tinges of olive-brown; this darkening especially apparent in males. Variations are known to occur; in north-west Africa, the uppersides of the forewing and hindwing are darker, with hints of greenish or greyish brown. Similarly-coloured races occur in Spain, Elba, Crete, and other eastern Mediterranean islands. "T. acteon christi", endemic