Fluturat e Shqipërisë
Butterflies of Albania

Sylvain Cuvelier =
Anila Paparisto =

Last update: 20.xii.2023

Pyrgus malvae / Grizzled Skipper
Mëllagëngrënësja njollshumtë
Hesperiidae - Pyrginae

Pyrgus malvae (Linnaeus, 1758). TL: Aland Island, Finland.

1a. Pyrgus malvae, distribution map. Historical data ; Additional data from the 2018 update ; New observations since the 2018 update.
1b. Pyrgus malvae ♂ upperside. Vermosh, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1c. Pyrgus malvae ♂ underside. Serbia (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1d. Pyrgus malvae copula. Mali i Thatë, Albania (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1e. Pyrgus malvae ♂ upperside. Albania (© Marjanne Foppen)
1f. Pyrgus malvae egg. France (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1g. Pyrgus malvae forma taras. BIH (© Sylvain Cuvelier)

Description
♂♂
Small butterfly, the smallest Pyrgus in Balkan. Fw: 11-13 mm.
Upf: strong white submarginal marks.
Uph: strong white discal mark (molar-shaped). Strong white submarginal marks.
Unh: gc brown, often with green or yellowish tint.
♀♀
Slightly larger, otherwise similar.

Similar species

1. Exclude: Spialia orbifer and Spialia phlomidis Upf: White postdiscal spots in a regular row. 2. Exclude: P. carthami Size: Unf + Unh: full white marginal band. P. 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 alveus .....>> Upf: weak spot near cell-end. Uph: weak markings. Unh: rectangular, basal spot in s7. Unh:yellowish-olive gc. 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 with 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 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: two generations (one at high altitude)
Egg: 5-14 days.
Caterpillar: single brood at higher altitude feeding for 9 weeks till autumn, low altitude populations fast growing in late spring.
Pupa: overwintering hidden in the litter.

Habitat
Pyrgus malvae inhabits a variety of grasslands, as well in open areas as in forest glades, patches with bare ground often present, from lowland up to at least 2000 m a.s.l.
Spatial requirement modest, population density can be high.

Foodplants
Caterpillars feed on Agrimonia sp., Filipendula sp., Fragaria sp., Potentilla sp., and Sanguisorba sp., also mentioned on Rubus.
Butterflies feed on a large variety of flowers.

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

Conservation status
Pyrgus malvae 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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