Lulworth skipper caterpillars live in the warmest zone of a grass clump, at a height of . The pupal stage lasts for about two weeks, from the beginning of June onwards, until late July. It is formed inside a loose "nest" of silk and grass that is spun deep inside a tussock of tor grass. Imago begin to emerge in the early middle of July and finish emerging in the middle of September. Typically, they will live for five to ten days—the normal lifespan for a non-hibernating butterfly of the Lulworth's seasonal stage. They fly only in strong sunshine and tend to
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