A flash of chocolate and gold may be the first indication that the Chequered Skipper, Carterocephalus palaemon, is on the wing, darting in chase of other insects or from Bluebell to Bluebell as it fuels itself for the frenetic flight period ahead. Always a difficult butterfly to spot, the Chequered Skipper is often seen as it basks on a favoured perch in the spring sunshine, waiting to chase insects that pass by.