Conservation Status
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Not of concern.
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Cyclicity
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Mid to late June in the boreal region, three to four weeks later in the mountains.
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Distribution
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Found throughout northern North America from Newfoundland to Alaska, south along the Rocky Mountains to northern New Mexico (Opler 1999). Also occurs in Europe and Asia.
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General Description
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"Superficially similar to the other checkered skippers; The Grizzled Skipper is larger than the rare Small Checkered Skipper (P. scriptura, wingspan 16 - 25 mm) which is known only from the Milk River valley of extreme southern Alberta. Compared to the Common Checkered Skipper (P. communis), the Grizzled has less extensive white markings. The Grizzled Skipper is most likely to be confused with the Two-banded Checkered Skipper in the Mountains. To separate these two, look at the upperside hindwing spots: centaureae has poorly defined, smudged white spots, while ruralis has two rows of sharply outlined white spots. P. ruralis is also slightly smaller, and is usually restricted to low-elevation, dry montane habitats.
Subspecies freija of the boreal region is darker than the mountain subspecies (loki); These taxa may in fact be separate species."
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Habitat
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Alpine and subalpine meadows and acidic bogs in the boreal region.
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Life Cycle
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Nothing is known about the immature stages in North America. Males exhibit perching behaviour during cooler temperatures, and switch to patrolling in warmer conditions (Bird et al. 1995). This species may have a two-year life cycle, since it is more common in odd-numbered years in the mountains (Acorn 1993) and the possibly also in the boreal region (Schmidt unpubl. data).
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Trophic Strategy
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The larval foodplant of the mountain populations is unknown. The closely related Pyrgus wyandot feeds on Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) in Michigan (Nielsen 1999), and subspecies freija is presumed to feed on cloudberry (Rubus chaemomorus) in northern Canada (Layberry et al. 1998). These skippers take nectar at stonecrop, strawberry and cinquefoil (Bird et al. 1995).
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Northern grizzled skipper
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The northern grizzled skipper (Pyrgus centaureae) is a Holarctic species of skipper butterfly (family Hesperiidae) with a range in North America from the subarctic to the north, New Mexico to the south, and the Appalachian Mountains to the east.In the Palearctic the species which was described from Norway is distributed across Scandinavia and the northern part of European Russia across the Urals through northern Asia to the Altai.[1]
Description
While generally similar to most other Pyrgus species, this species has a greyer brown background colour with bold white spots on both the forewing and hindwing. Unlike most other Pyrgus species, the veins on the underside are obviously lined white. Wingspan is 25 to 33 mm. Seitz describes it- H. centaureae Rambur. (86 a) large, dark, with very distinct white dots and spots. Underside of hindwing dark brown or blackish with a greenish tint. The brown band which forms the outer border of the white band, bears spots and forms the inner border of a white terminal band, which appears divided by a row of strong brown dots so that there are two white bands beyond the median band. Scandinavia, Finland, the Altai; also in North America; in June and July. [2]
Biology
It occurs in the northern taiga, forest tundra and southern shrub tundra. One generation is produced per year in its southern range from March to May. Two years are required for each brood in the subarctic. Larval food plants include cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus), wild strawberry (Fragaria virginiana), dwarf cinquefoil (Potentilla canadensis), and varileaf cinquefoil (Potentilla diversifolia).[1]
Subspecies
- Pyrgus centaureae centaureae
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Pyrgus centaureae freija (Warren, 1924) (Canada)
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Pyrgus centaureae wyandot (Edwards, 1863)
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Pyrgus centaureae loki Evans, 1953 (Colorado)
Etymology
Named in the Classical tradition a Centaur is a creature from Greek mythology with the upper body of a human and the lower body and legs of a horse.
References
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^ a b "Grizzled skipper Pyrgus centaureae". Butterflies and Moths of North America. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
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^ Adalbert Seitz Die Großschmetterlinge der Erde, Verlag Alfred Kernen, Stuttgart Band 1: Abt. 1, Die Großschmetterlinge des palaearktischen Faunengebietes, Die palaearktischen Tagfalter, 1909, 379 Seiten, mit 89 kolorierten Tafeln (3470 Figuren)
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- Whalley, Paul - Mitchell Beazley Guide to Butterflies (1981, reprinted 1992) ISBN 0-85533-348-0
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Northern grizzled skipper: Brief Summary
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The northern grizzled skipper (Pyrgus centaureae) is a Holarctic species of skipper butterfly (family Hesperiidae) with a range in North America from the subarctic to the north, New Mexico to the south, and the Appalachian Mountains to the east.In the Palearctic the species which was described from Norway is distributed across Scandinavia and the northern part of European Russia across the Urals through northern Asia to the Altai.
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