Alpine grizzled skipper


The Alpine grizzled skipper is a species of skipper. This species is found up to fairly high altitudes in the Alps, Pyrenees and Pirin and also at lower elevations in northern Scandinavia, where its range extends well into the Arctic Circle. It prefers damp habitats and is often found near to water.

Description

This is a medium-sized Pyrgus skipper with a wingspan of 26–30 mm. The dark brown forewing is marked with a bold pattern of white spots; by contrast the hindwing is plain dark brown with little or no patterning. The underside of the hindwing has two distinctive pale markings close to the dorsum: an elongated streak and a round spot, often likened to an exclamation mark. The adult flies in June and July. It has a rapid flight, low over the ground.

Distribution and habitat

The Alpine grizzled skipper is found at high altitudes in Europe. It is known from the Pyrenees, where it is rare, the Alps, the Carpathians, southwest Bosnia, southwest Bulgaria, southwest Serbia, northwest North Macedonia, Lapland and the border between Norway and Sweden. In the Swiss Alps its height range is and in the Pyrenees. In the Alps and Pyrenees, its natural habitat is above the tree line in damp, grassy places, often near streams or in bogs. In its Scandinavian range it occurs in areas with dwarf scrubby vegetation and on steep slopes and in rocky areas.

Life cycle

There is just one generation per year. The eggs are laid individually. The larvae have been recorded on Alchemilla glomerulans, Alpine lady's mantle, mountain avens and several species of cinqefoils. The caterpillars spin a silken web and anchor leaves together to make a shelter in which they congregate. They hibernate over winter and pupate in a similar shelter the following spring.

Status

Although some populations of Alpine grizzled skipper are in decline the IUCN lists the species as being of "least concern" as there are no identifiable threats to it at a continent-wide level.