Fluturat e Shqipërisë
Butterflies of Albania

Sylvain Cuvelier =
Anila Paparisto =

Last update: 12.iv.2024

Carcharodus alceae / Mallow Skipper
Mëllagagrënësja
Hesperiidae - Pyrginae

Carcharodus alceae (Esper, [1780]). TL: Germany.

1a. Carcharodus alceae, distribution map. Historical data ; Additional data from the 2018 update ; New observations since the 2018 update.
1b. Carcharodus alceae ♂ upperside. Romania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1c. Carcharodus alceae caterpillar. Peshkopi, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1d. Carcharodus alceae ♂ frontal. Romania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1e. Carcharodus alceae ♀ upperside. Romania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)

Description
♂♂
Small butterfly. Fw: 13-16 mm.
Ups: brown and grey marbled gc.
Uph: vague paler discal and postdiscal markings.
Upf: very narrow (sometimes absent) hyaline cel-spot.
Uns: paler brown gc.
Unf: no hair-tuft.
♀♀
Slightly larger than ♂♂.
Ups: paler gc, markings quite similar, slightly more contrasted.

Similar species

Muschampia lavatherae Upf: gc light olive-brown. Uph: Conspicuous white discal and pd spots. Unh: gc whitish with indistinct markings. Muschampia floccifera Muschampia orientalis Uph: Conspicuous white discal and pd spots. Unh: gc paler grey-brown.

Life cycle
Adults: three or more generations from April to October, quite long life span (up to 3 weeks)
Egg: 7-18 days.
Caterpillar: overwintering as full-grown larva (33 weeks) in a cocoon in litter layer, or during the year short (30-44 days)
Pupa: 11-32 days.

2a. Carcharodus alceae caterpillar dorsal view. Peshkopi, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
2b. Carcharodus alceae caterpillar lateral view. Peshkopi, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
2c. Carcharodus alceae spinning to make a folded leaf. Peshkopi, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)

Habitat
Carcharodus alceae inhabits flowery banks in dry grassland, usually in hilly country, with tall grasses and bushes from lowland up to 1500 m a.s.l. and rarely higher.
Spatial requirement considerable, population density low.

Foodplants
Caterpillars feed on Malvaceae: Abutilon theophrasti, Alcea sp., Althaea sp. and many Malva sp.
Butterflies feed on a large variety of flowers, often on thistles and knapweed.

Distribution
Albania: widespread.
Balkan: AL - BG - BIH - GR - HR - NMK - MNE - RKS - RO - SLO - SRB
Europe: IB - IT - ALP - BAL - NWE - UK - SCA - EEU
Asia Minor, Near East, Transcaucasia, Caucasus and further east.

Conservation status
Carcharodus alceae is not endangered.
Albanian Red List: LC.
IUCN Red List, category at the Mediterranean level: LC.

Useful links
Bink 2015
Pyrgus.de
Lepiforum
Euroleps

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