| Dusky grizzled skipper (Pyrgus cacaliae (Rambur, 1839)) |
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Scientific name: Pyrgus cacaliae (Rambur, 1839) Common name: Dusky grizzled skipper French name: Hespérie du pas-d'âne Order: Lepidoptera Suborder: Rhopalocera Family: Hesperiidae Subfamily: Pyrginae Wingspan: 26-30 mm Biotope: Mountain meadows at high altitude (>1800m). Geographic area: The Alps, the Pyrenees, the Carpathians, Bulgaria, Romania. Flight time: June to August. Number of generations : 1 Caterpillar: Host plant: Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara), Potentilla sp., Sibbaldia sp. |
The Hesperiidae of the Pyrgus genus have grey or brown upper sides of the wings with white spots. The fore wings show some postdiscal spots closer to the margin. It is often difficult to tell species apart. The identification keys require a view of the under side of the hind wings. The Dusky grizzled skipper has very small spots on the upperside of the forewings and almost no marks on the upperside of the hindwings. There are two small white spots near the base of the forewing. The underside of the wings is a dirty green colour. The underside of the hindwing has a dash mark and a spot mark which look like an exclamation mark. The Alpine Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus andromedae), very similar species, has larger spots on the upperside of the forewing and three basal spots instead of two. The exclamation mark shape is also brighter on the underside of the hindwing. |
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I have first listed this specimen as Pyrgus cacaliae but it is more prudent to stay at Pyrgus sp. My first identification was based on the altitude (2030m), the observation date and the lack of marks on the upperside of the hindwings. |
André Bon July 2016