Pyrgus malvae: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the Pyrgus malvae lives – recorded in 17 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Pyrgus malvae
Group	Butterflies & moths
Status	Least concern (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	17 countries
Continents	Europe
Class	Insect
Order	Lepidoptera
Family	Hesperiidae

Where does the Pyrgus malvae live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the Pyrgus malvae in 17 countries and territories across Europe.

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

Is the Pyrgus malvae endangered?

The Pyrgus malvae’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Least concern” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the Pyrgus malvae?

The Pyrgus malvae (Pyrgus malvae) is an insect in the order Lepidoptera and the family Hesperiidae, genus Pyrgus. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the Pyrgus malvae

Pyrgus malvae, the grizzled skipper, is a butterfly species from the family Hesperiidae. It is a small skipper (butterfly) with a chequered pattern on its wings that appears to be black and white. This butterfly can be found throughout Europe and is common in central and southern regions of England. The butterfly prefers three major types of habitat: woodland, grassland, and industrial. Referenced as a superspecies, Pyrgus malvae includes three semispecies: malvae, malvoides, and melotis. Eggs are laid on plants that will provide warmth and proper nutrition for development. As larvae, their movement is usually restricted to a single plant, on which they will build tents, unless they move onto a second host plant. Larvae then spin cocoons, usually on the last host plant they have occupied, where they remain until spring. Upon emerging as adult butterflies, grizzled skippers are quite active during the day and tend to favour blue or violet-coloured plants for food. They also possess multiple methods of communication; for example, vibrations are used to communicate with ants, and chemical secretions play a role in mating. Exhibiting territorial behaviour, males apply perching and patrolling strategies to mate with a desired female.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Pyrgus malvae (revision 1380643909), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q1109803 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).