The Small Skipper is very similar to the Essex Skipper. Those with black tips to the undersides of the antennae are Essex Skippers, those with orange patches just below the tips of the antennae are Small Skippers. The male wing stripe is longer and more diagonal on the Small Skipper.
A photograph on Peter Eeles website of 28 June 2004 shows a mating pair, one with antennae tips orange-brown, the other much darker brown. Very often I have noticed male Small Skippers with brightish orange undersides of the antennae tips, as well as more bright orange further back along the undersides. The female undersides of the antennae tips seem to be mostly darker brown, and less orange below the tips. This difference also occurs in Large Skippers.

The adults are on the wing from late June to early August with a peak in July.

The preferred larval food plants are Yorkshire Fog, not uncommon in meadows and wild grassy places.

The Small Skipper over-winters as a larva in small cocoons in grass sheaths on the stems of Yorkshire Fog.