Grizzled Skipper

Scientific Name - Pyrgus malvae

Flight Period - April to June (occasional 2nd brood)

Overwinters as - Pupa

Habitat - Grassland, abandoned quarries, woodland rides

Larval foodplants - Wild Strawberry, Creeping Cinquefoil, Agrimony

Conservation status - Section 41 NERC species of principle Importance, UK BAP Priority Species

Northamptonshire distribution - Localised

Best public sites to see them - Fermyn Country Park, Fineshade Wood, Old Sulehay and Ring Haw, Twywell Hills and Dales

The Grizzled Skipper is a rather localised butterfly in Northamptonshire although new sites have been added to the distribution map in recent years. This butterfly can be tricky to identify in flight, and can easily be mistaken for a moth. However, when they do finally come to rest they often like to perch in prominent positions making observation easier. It is a small butterfly with a dark ground colour, a white border and beautiful chequered markings on the wings. Like the Dingy Skipper, which it in many cases shares habitats with, they often roost on vegetation and old seed heads which means late afternoon surveys can often be quite productive. The best places to see Grizzled are Fermyn Country Park in the old quarry area at the northern end, Fineshade Wood along the hard track that surrounds Westhay and Twywell Hills and Dales in and around the gullets of the Whitestones area.

Grizzled Skipper Distribution 2018 - 2022

Grizzled Skipper

Grizzled Skipper egg

Grizzled Skipper roosting on a seed head

Grizzled Skipper