Its range is from southern Scandinavia through Europe to North Africa and east to Central Asia.

In North America, this butterfly was accidentally introduced in 1910 via London, Ontario and has spread across southern Canada[2] and into several northern US states.

Essex skippers' other foods include creeping soft grass (Holcus mollis), couch grass (Elymus repens), timothy-grass (Phleum pratense), meadow foxtail (Alopecurus pratensis), false brome (Brachypodium sylvaticum) and tor-grass (Brachypodium pinnatum).

This skipper's caterpillars emerge in the spring and feed until June before forming shelters from leaves tied with silk at the base of the foodplant to pupate.

[5] This skipper's oval eggs are pale greenish-yellow, flattened above and below with slightly depressed tops.