Home / Skipper (Hesperiidae) / Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus malvae)

Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus malvae)

The Grizzled Skipper is a species of very small butterflies found hovering, flapping their wings very fast. They are seen mostly during spring and summer in bright, sunny fields and warm, flowering areas.

Scientific Classification

Family: Hesperiidae
Genus: Pyrgus
Scientific Name: Pyrgus malvae

Description and Identification

Caterpillar

The small larva is born green with longitudinal lines across its body, while it gradually transforms into light brown upon maturing.

Pupa

The chrysalis is light green, with the other half gradually turning brown as they near the stage of the imago.

Adult Butterfly

Sexual Dimorphism: Visually similar (the males have the tip of their wings slightly angular as opposed to the rounded-tipped wings of the females)

Color and Appearance: When the wings are open, it shows its characteristic fringes checkered in black to gray-black and white, while the tiny secondary wings are usually solid black to brownish black. When the wings are closed, the underside of the hindwings display a gray-brown to black checkered with whitish spots and white veins.

Average wingspan: 2.5-3.3 inches

Flight pattern: Swift and erratic

Eggs

White, elongated eggs deposited one at a time on host plant leaves

Quick Facts
Distribution	Throughout Europe; In North America, starting from south and east Alaska to central Ontario and northern Michigan. Isolated populations also found in Labrador and arctic Quebec, central Appalachians, the Rocky Mountains from central Alberta south to northern New Mexico
Habitat	Wide variety of habitats including sunny open forest edges, small shrubs and flowering gardens, grassy hillsides, tundra, valley bottoms, barren lands, scrub oak openings, and meadows
Host plants	Agrimony, creeping cinquefoil, and wild strawberry
Adult diet	Flower nectar