Fluturat e Shqipërisë
Butterflies of Albania

Sylvain Cuvelier =
Anila Paparisto =

Last update: 12.iv.2024

Pyrgus serratulae / Olive Skipper
Ngjyrëullijta
Hesperiidae - Pyrginae

Pyrgus serratulae (Rambur, [1839]). TL: Spain.

1a. Pyrgus serratulae, distribution map. Historical data ; Additional data from the 2018 update ; New observations since the 2018 update.
1b. Pyrgus serratulae ♂ underside. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1c. Pyrgus serratulae ♀ upperside. Greece (© Tom Kristensen)
1d. Pyrgus serratulae ♂ upperside. Greece (© Tom Kristensen)

Description
♂♂
Small butterfly but one of the medium-sized Pyrgus in Balkan. Fw: 12-14 mm.
Upf: markings variable, sometimes small.
Uph: markings obscure, vestigial.
Unh: olive-green gc, s7 basal dot rounded or oval, s4/5 discal mark often straight ended on both sides, s2 solid marginal mark.
♀♀
Similar size.
Ups: white markings usually small.
Unh: olive-green gc, s7 basal dot rounded or oval, s4/5 discal mark often straight ended on both sides, s2 solid marginal mark.

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 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 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.

Life cycle
Adults: single generation from May to August, depending on altitude.
Egg: 11-18 days.
Caterpillar: overwintering as L4 larva in a cocoon.
Pupa: 19 days.

Habitat
Pyrgus serratulae usually inhabits meadows on hilly, mountain slopes with flowering plants, mainly between 500 up to 1500 m a.s.l.
Spatial requirement modest, population density low.

Foodplants
Caterpillars feed on Geum sp., Potentilla sp. and Sibbaldia procumbens.
Butterflies feed on a variety of flowers.

Distribution
Albania: local in southern Albania (more research needed)
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
Pyrgus serratulae is not endangered.
Albanian Red List: NE.
IUCN Red List, category at the Mediterranean level: LC.

Useful links
Bink 2015
Pyrgus.de
Lepiforum
Euroleps 1
Euroleps 2
(url) Raymond B. & Gibbons R. Identification Guide to the Pyrgus Group of Grizzled Skippers in Europe (© Copyright Butterfly Conservation)

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