Fluturat e Shqipërisë
Butterflies of Albania

Sylvain Cuvelier =
Anila Paparisto =

Last update: 12.iv.2024

Pyrgus alveus / Large Grizzled Skipper
Thinjoshja
Hesperiidae - Pyrginae

Pyrgus alveus (Hübner, [1803]). TL: Germany.

1a. Pyrgus alveus, distribution map. Historical data ; Additional data from the 2018 update ; New observations since the 2018 update.
1b. Pyrgus alveus ♂ underside. North of Mt. Korab, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)

Description
♂♂
Small butterfly but one of the medium-sized Pyrgus in Balkan. Fw: 14-16 mm.
Ups: gc nearly black (when fresh) to dark grey-brown.
Upf: small to moderate white dots.
Uph: small postdiscal spots very obscure, nearly visible.
Unh: light grey-brownish gc, pale postdiscal band usually complete but smaller in s2-s3 or interrupted.
♀♀
Similar size.
Ups: gc with yellowish flush (fresh), white spots often smaller.

Similar species

1. Exclude: Spialia orbifer and Spialia phlomidis Upf: White postdiscal spots in a regular row. 2. Exclude: Pyrgus carthami Size: Unf + Unh: full white marginal band. Pyrgus sidae Size: Unh: yellow discal and pd bands. Other Pyrgus: Well-marked specific characters are variable or lacking ! Considerable intraspecific variation. Making a confident specific identification by external features is often difficult. The better criteria are found on the unh. Species are best identified by the male genitalia. Male genitalia bear clear differentiating characters.

Pyrgus andromedae .....~ Upf: 3 small white discal spots under the cell. Uph: faint markings. Unh: exclamation mark near inner margin. Unh: grey-yellowish olive gc. Pyrgus armoricanus .....< Uph: strong pale white discal marks. Unh: strong sm marks, s1/2 arrow-shaped marks. Unh: veins distinctly prominent. Unh: s7 basal dot, rectangular and straight edges. (♀♀ weaker marked) Pyrgus cinarae .....> Upf: ♂♂ large white spots. Upf: dump-bell shaped spot at cell-end. Upf: ♀♀ weaker spots. Uph: marked discal markings, small basal spots. Unh: olive-brown gc. Pyrgus malvae .....<< Upf: strong white sm marks. Uph: strong discal mark (molar-shaped) Uph: strong white sm marks. Unh: brown gc, sometimes with green-yellowish tint. Pyrgus serratulae .....<~ Uph: faint markings. Unh: basal dot rounded or oval in s7. Unh: discal mark, straight on both sides at s4/5. Unh: olive-grey gc.

Life cycle
Adults: single generation from June to August, rather long life span (3 weeks)
Egg: 14-17 days.
Caterpillar: feeding from later summer to autumn, overwintering as L2 larva hidden between leaflets spun together at the top of a twig, feeding for 3 months in the spring to early summer.
Pupa: 14-26 days.

Habitat
Pyrgus alveus inhabits grassy, flowery rocky meadows, mainly in mountains often in sheltered valleys, near rivers and streams, mostly from 1000 up to 2000 m a.s.l.
Spatial requirement large, population density low.

Foodplants
Caterpillars feed on Helianthemum sp. and Potentilla sp.
Butterflies feed on higher flowers.

Distribution
Albania: widespread in the Northern Albanian Alps, local in other mountain areas.
Balkan: AL - BG - BIH - GR - HR - NMK - MNE - RKS - RO - SLO - SRB
Europe: IB - IT - ALP - BAL - NWE - UK - SCA - EEU
Asia Minor, Caucasus and further east.

Conservation status
Pyrgus alveus is not endangered.
Albanian Red List: NE.
IUCN Red List, category at the Mediterranean level: LC.

Useful links
Bink 2015
Pyrgus.de
Lepiforum
Euroleps
(url) Raymond B. & Gibbons R. Identification Guide to the Pyrgus Group of Grizzled Skippers in Europe (© Copyright Butterfly Conservation)

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