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Hesperiidae : Pyrginae

Grizzled Skipper

PYRGUS malvae (Linnaeus, 1758)
Picture

Life Cycle Guide

Picture
Description
Wingspan: 22-26mm
Worlwide Distribution: Europe-Not SE Europe:N.W Turkey:Tian Shan:N.China:Korea:Severe declines recorded in many european countries.
UK Distribution: Southern stronghold counties for the Grizzled Skipper occur in Hampshire:Dorset:Somerset:Wiltshire with approximately 100 colonies in each county:Counties with approximately 40 colonies each are:Buckinghamshire:Kent:Surrey:Sussex:Isle of Wight:Gloucestershire.Colonies further north and in Wales are few in number.
UK Conservation Status -
  • NERC S.41 : 2008 (England) & NERC S.42 : 2009 (Wales) - Species "of principle importance for the purpose of conserving biodiversity
  • BAP : 2007 - Priority Species
  • Vulnerable - Red List
European Conservation Status -
  • Least Concern
Original Species Name -
  • Papilio malvae (Linnaeus, 1758)
Type Species - Pyrgus
  • Papilio alveolus (Hübner, [1800])
Type Locality -
  • Finland-Ålandinsein
Altitude: Sea Level-1800m
Flight Period: End April-Mid June UK:Univoltine-single brooded
Where Location and altitude allow : May-Early July:Univoltine
Alternative- April-Early June & July-August-Bivoltine-Two broods per year.
Habitat: Woodland rides or Open Clearings:Unimproved grassland-Chalk Downland:Railway Lines:Rubbish tips:Abandoned industrial sites.
Ovum: The small "squashed ball" shaped eggs are deposited on the underside of the various larval food plants like wild strawberry etc.
The larva hatches after ten days.
Larvae: The larval stage usually lasts from June to the end of July,beginning of August. A wet and warm July usually produces an increase in adults the following year.
Pupa: The larva descends to the base of the LFP and spins a netting of silk in which it pupates. This stage including overwintering lasts for up to nine months
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: I usually find this early spring butterfly near the East and West of Winchester on chalk downland and woodland rides where its is very difficult to see once taken to flight, but easy to find when imbibing on Bird's-foot Trefoil or Dandelion or just settled on the bare soil enjoying the spring sunshine.
Sadly like other Skippers this butterfly has succumbed to intensive farming practices and is a declining species throughout its range although as a medium priority Butterfly Conservation specie it is responding to conservation measures like animal grazing on the chalk land downs and woodland coppicing.
An increase in Rabbit numbers has also provided help in controlling vegetation height.
Subspecies
P. m.malvae Linnaeus,1758 All areas,including UK distribution, but except South-East Europe - Nominate Subspecies

Typical Habitat


Larval Food Plants Worldwide
Grizzled Skipper larvae feed on plant families described below plant photos.
The larvae also feed on the following list of hostplant names :-

Note - Plants hyperlinked in red below take the visitor to the relevant plant page on"Plants for a Future" website where further information like photos,physical characteristics,habitats,edible uses,medicinal uses,cultivation,propagation,range,height etc. are clearly listed.
  • Plant Families - in bold red below takes the visitor to the relevant "Lepi-plants" page where other butterflies & moths using the plants below are listed.

Larval Food Plants
Taxonomy
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Subkingdom:
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Accepted Species Name:

Type Species - PYRGUS:

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Subspecies:
Animalia
Eumetozoa
Arthropoda
Hexapoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Papilionoidea
Hesperiidae
Pyrginae
Pyrgini
PYRGUS Hübner, [1819]
Pyrgus malvae (Linnaeus, 1758)
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Papilio alveolus (Hübner, [1800])
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PAPILIO malvae (Linnaeus 1758)
= Papilio minor Esper, 1777    
= Papilio sao Bergstrasser, 1779
= Papilio althaeae Esper, 1783   
= Papilio taras Bergstrasser, 1783
= Papilio fritillurn Fabricius, 1787   
= Papilio laveterae Fabricius, 1787    
= Papilio alveolus Hübner, 1803
= Hesperia cardui Latreille, 1823
= Pyrgus intermedia Schilde, 1886
= Syrichthus fasciata Tutt, 1896
= Hesperia moryi Strand, 1902
= Hesperia zagrabiensis Grunder, 1903
= Hesperia albina Tutt, 1906    
= Hesperia australis Tutt, 1906   
= Hesperia restricta Tutt, 1906   
= Hesperia rufa Tutt, 1906   
= Hesperia brunnea Tutt, 1906   
= Syrichthus albina Oberthür, 1910
= Hesperia pseudotaras Lacreuze, 1910
= Hesperia scabellata Reverdin, 1912   
= Hesperia bilineata Reverdin, 1914    
= Hesperia marginoelongata Reverdin, 1914   
= Hesperia punctigera Fuchs, 1919   
= Hesperia reducta Warren, 1920   
= Hesperia mulleri Dioszeghy, 1930    
= Syrichthus elegantior Verity, 1934   
= Syrichtus asiaeclara Verity, 1934
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Syst. Nat. (Edn 10) 1 : Title page : p.485 n.167
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"Ålandinseln", Finland
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P.m. albina Tutt, 1906
P.m. bilineata Reverdin, 1914
P.m. fasciata Tutt, 1896
P.m. intermedia Oberthür, 1910
P.m. marginoelongata Reverdin, 1914
P.m. moryi Strand, 1902 
P.m. punctifera Fuchs, 1889
P.m. rufa Tutt, 1906
P.m. scabellata Reverdin, 1910
P.m. taras Bergstrasser, 1780
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P.m.kauffmanni Alberti, 1955-Ussuri Region : Eastern Russia.
P.m.malvoides Elwes & Edwards,1897-Iberian peninsula : S France : S.Switzerland : S-W Austria : N.Italy : W.Slovenia
P.m.modestior Verity,1929-C & S Italy incl Sicily