Pyrgus malvae, the grizzled skipper, is a butterfly species from the family Hesperiidae. It is a small skipper (butterfly) with a chequered pattern on its wings that appears to be black and white. This butterfly can be found throughout Europe and is common in central and southern regions of England. The butterfly prefers three major types of habitat: woodland, grassland, and industrial. Referenced as a superspecies, Pyrgus malvae includes three semispecies: malvae, malvoides, and melotis. Eggs are laid on plants that will provide warmth and proper nutrition for development. As larvae, their movement is usually restricted to a single plant, on which they will build tents, unless they move onto a second host plant. Larvae then spin cocoons, usually on the last host plant they have occupied, where they remain until spring. Upon emerging as adult butterflies, grizzled skippers are quite active during the day and tend to favour blue or violet-coloured plants for food. They also possess multiple methods of communication; for example, vibrations are used to communicate with ants, and chemical secretions play a role in mating. Exhibiting territorial behaviour, males apply perching and patrolling strategies to mate with a desired female.
Pyrgus is a genus in the skippers butterfly family, Hesperiidae, known as the grizzled skippers. The name "checkered" or "chequered skipper" may also be applied to some species, but also refers to species in the genera Burnsius and Carterocephalus. They occur in the Holarctic with an additional group of species extending to the Neotropic.
The Large Grizzled skipper is a species of skipper butterfly.
The Olive Skipper is a species of skipper.
The carline skipper is a butterfly and a species of the skipper. It is a montane butterfly only found in southwestern areas of the Alps. It can be an abundant species within this restricted range.
The Cinquefoil Skipper is a species of skipper butterfly.
The rosy grizzled skipper is a species of skipper.
Burnsius communis, the common checkered-skipper, formerly known as Pyrgus communis, is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is known as the frequently seen Pyrginae species in the northern United States by collectors and watchers alike.
The safflower skipper is a species of skipper butterfly.
The Alpine Grizzled Skipper is a species of skipper.
The Dusky Grizzled Skipper is a species of skipper butterfly.
The northern grizzled skipper is a Holarctic species of skipper butterfly with a range in North America from the subarctic to the north, New Mexico to the south, and the Appalachian Mountains to the east.In the Palearctic the species which was described from Norway is distributed across Scandinavia and the northern part of European Russia across the Urals through northern Asia to the Altai.
Pyrgus malvoides, the Southern Grizzled Skipper, is a species of skipper.
Burnsius oileus, the tropical checkered skipper, is a species of skipper. It is found in the United States, south through the West Indies, Mexico and Central America to Costa Rica. It was transferred to genus Burnsius in 2019, and was previously known as Pyrgus oileus.
Pyrgus jupei, the Caucasian skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It was described by Buchard Alberti in 1967. It is found in the Caucasus, Turkey and northern Iran. The habitat consists of alpine and subalpine meadow belts.
