| Pyrgus onopordi | |
|---|---|
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| Pyrgus onopordi. Side view | |
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| Dorsal view | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Hesperiidae |
| Genus: | Pyrgus |
| Species: | P. onopordi |
| Binomial name | |
| Pyrgus onopordi (Rambur, 1839) | |
The rosy grizzled skipper (Pyrgus onopordi) is a species of skipper (family Hesperiidae).
This species can be found in central and southern Europe (Austria, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, and Netherlands) and in North Africa (Algeria and Morocco). [1] [2]
These butterflies inhabit flowery meadows, hot dry grassy meadows and streams at an elevation of 0–2,000 metres (0–6,562 ft) above sea level. [3]
The wingspan of Pyrgus onopordi can reach 22–28 mm. The upper side of the frontwings and hindwings is dark brown or khaki with a slight yellowish tinge, white markings, and a white fringe on the edge. The underside hindwings is light yellow-brown marbled with a few large white spots, including a characteristic anvil-shaped discal mark bordered with dark lines in the cells four and five. [3] [4] Females are darker and usually larger than males. [5] Unlike most European Pyrgus species this skipper can usually be readily identified in the field as it is noticeably paler than its congeners. This is due to a heavy dusting of yellowish scales which overlies the dark brown base colour.
The eggs are yellowish, roundish, and flattened at both ends, with up to twenty strong longitudinal ribs on the surface. The caterpillars range from light to dark brown with bright sideline lines. The head is black. The pupae are bluish-tinted with a very contrasting drawing.
This species is quite similar to Pyrgus carlinae , Pyrgus cirsii , Pyrgus cinarae , Pyrgus malvae , Pyrgus alveus , Pyrgus andromedae , Pyrgus cacaliae, and Spialia sertorius . [3]
Two or three generations are produced each year at any time between April and October. The larval food plants are Potentilla species ( Potentilla reptans , Potentilla pusilla , Potentilla hirta ), Malva neglecta , Malva parviflora , Malope malacoides, and Helianthemum species ( Helianthemum apenninum , Helianthemum hirtum ). [6]
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.
The Large Grizzled skipper is a species of skipper butterfly.
Pyrgus warrenensis, the Warren's skipper, is a species of skipper. It is a strictly Alpine species.
Oberthür's Grizzled Skipper is a species of skipper.
Foulquier's grizzled skipper is a species of skipper. It has a limited distribution in central and southern France and adjacent areas of Spain and Italy and also Corsica. Within this range it can be quite common.
The Olive Skipper is a species of skipper.
The carline skipper is a butterfly and a species of the skipper. It is only found in southwestern areas of the Alps and can be an abundant species within this restricted range.
The Cinquefoil Skipper is a species of skipper butterfly.
Pyrgus sidae, the yellow-banded skipper, is a species of skipper. It is found in from the Iberian Peninsula through southern and eastern Europe, southeast France, the northwestern coastal areas of central Italy, then Istria and the Balkan peninsula, across Turkey, Transcaucasia, to Iran and Afghanistan. East of the Southern Ural mountains the range extends to northwest Kazakhstan and the west of the Tien Shan in the north.
The sandy grizzled skipper is a species of skipper. It has a restricted range in southeastern Europe with a small relict population in central Spain.
Melitaea diamina, the false heath fritillary, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae.
Carcharodus alceae, the mallow skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae.
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 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.
Favria is a monotypic genus of spread-wing skippers in the butterfly family Hesperiidae. This genus was formerly a synonym of Muschampia, and its only species, Favria cribrellum, was formerly a member of Muschampia. The species is commonly known as the spinose skipper.
Muschampia tessellum, the tessellated skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found from the southern Balkan Peninsula through Ukraine, southern Russia and Asia Minor, southern Siberia, Mongolia, east to the Amur region.
Pyrgus malvoides, the Southern Grizzled Skipper, is a species of skipper.
Spialia orbifer, the orbed red-underwing skipper or Hungarian skipper is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found from south-eastern Europe and temperate Asia to Korea. The habitat consists of steppe on plains and grassy slopes in the mountains.