Its name is derived from Lulworth Cove in the county of Dorset, England, where the first specimens in Great Britain were collected in 1832 by English naturalist James Charles Dale.

[3] The butterfly was first discovered in Britain on 15 August 1832, when specimens were taken from Lulworth Cove in Dorset by English naturalist James Charles Dale.

[6] 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.

T. acteon christi, endemic to the Canary Islands, displays colour variations, with the uppersides of the forewing showing defined yellow–orange markings.

The Lulworth skipper is found locally across southern and central Europe, Asia Minor and North Africa,[1] where its population is considered stable.

[9] In Great Britain, where the butterfly reaches the northern limit of its range, its distribution is restricted to the southern coastline of the county of Dorset.

[10][11] Here, both the population and range have changed little in recent decades; it is locally abundant, with the majority of colonies found on the coast between Weymouth and Swanage and on the Purbeck Ridge, a line of inland chalk hills.

[2][3][12] However, there is evidence to suggest that minimal grazing is not detrimental to the species, and may in fact be beneficial in that it encourages the growth of flowers that act as adult nectar sources.

[6] The females lay their eggs in rows of 5 to 6 (although as many as 15 have been recorded[2]) on the flower-sheath of Tor-grass (Brachypodium pinnatum), preferring the dead sheaths of tall plants.