Grizzled skipper

Appearance

With its characteristic chequered black-and-white pattern this butterfly is quite distinctive although old, faded individuals can be mistaken for the dingy skipper or the burnet companion moth.

It is distributed throughout the Palearctic region except the far north and the Iberian Peninsula, and eastwards as far as China and Korea.

Its main habitat in Britain is chalk downland but others used include scrubby grasslands, woodland clearings and disused artificial habitat. The butterfly occurs throughout southern and central England, and Wales, but has declined in several areas, especially in the non-chalk habitat.

Distribution

With its characteristic chequered black-and-white pattern this butterfly is quite distinctive although old, faded individuals can be mistaken for the dingy skipper or the burnet companion moth.

It is distributed throughout the Palearctic region except the far north and the Iberian Peninsula, and eastwards as far as China and Korea.

Its main habitat in Britain is chalk downland but others used include scrubby grasslands, woodland clearings and disused artificial habitat. The butterfly occurs throughout southern and central England, and Wales, but has declined in several areas, especially in the non-chalk habitat.

Behavior

With its characteristic chequered black-and-white pattern this butterfly is quite distinctive although old, faded individuals can be mistaken for the dingy skipper or the burnet companion moth.

It is distributed throughout the Palearctic region except the far north and the Iberian Peninsula, and eastwards as far as China and Korea.

Its main habitat in Britain is chalk downland but others used include scrubby grasslands, woodland clearings and disused artificial habitat. The butterfly occurs throughout southern and central England, and Wales, but has declined in several areas, especially in the non-chalk habitat.The females lay eggs singly on species of the Rosaceae, usually agrimony, creeping cinquefoil and wild strawberry.

Other plants used occasionally are barren strawberry, tormentil, salad burnet, bramble, dog-rose and wood avens.

On hatching the caterpillars build shelters for use when they are not feeding. The larvae spin pupal cocoons and overwinter before emerging the following spring. The adult butterfly flies from the end of April until the middle of June.

Food

The females lay eggs singly on species of the Rosaceae, usually agrimony, creeping cinquefoil and wild strawberry.

Other plants used occasionally are barren strawberry, tormentil, salad burnet, bramble, dog-rose and wood avens.

On hatching the caterpillars build shelters for use when they are not feeding. The larvae spin pupal cocoons and overwinter before emerging the following spring. The adult butterfly flies from the end of April until the middle of June.