Grizzled Skipper

• Latin name: Pyrgus malvae
• Family group: Skippers
• Countries: England, Wales
• Size: Small

Resident

Range declining.

The Grizzled Skipper is a characteristic spring butterfly of southern chalk downland and other sparsely vegetated habitats. Its rapid, buzzing flight can make it difficult to follow, but it stops regularly either to perch on a prominent twig or to feed on flowers such as Common Bird's-foot-trefoil or Bugle. It can then be identified quite easily by the black and white checkerboard pattern on its wings.

The butterfly occurs across southern England, commonly in small colonies, and has declined in several regions, especially away from the chalk.

Conservation status

• UKBiodiversity Action Plan: Priority Species
• Butterfly Conservation priority: high
• European threat status: not threatened

European/world range

Occurs widely in Europe, apart from the far north of Scandinavia, and eastwards across to China and Korea. It has declined recently in several European countries.

Foodplants

A variety of plants from the Rosaceae family is used, mainly Agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria), Creeping Cinquefoil (Potentilla reptans) and Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vesca). It may also use Barren Strawberry (P. sterilis), Tormentil (P. erecta), Salad Burnet (Sanguisorba minor), Bramble (Rubus fruticosus), Dog-rose (Rosa canina), and Wood Avens (Geum urbanum).

Habitat

Three main types are used: woodland rides, glades, and clearings; unimproved grassland, especially chalk downland but also on other calcareous soils including clays; and recently abandoned industrial sites such as disused mineral workings, spoil heaps, railway lines, and even rubbish tips. Occasionally, it breeds on heathland, damp grassland, and dunes.

In all habitats it requires plentiful spring nectar plants, at least one of the main foodplants growing in short vegetation (< 10cm) usually with patches of bare ground, and patches of taller vegetation (10-50 cm) and scrub or woodland edges.