Foulquier's grizzled skipper explained

Foulquier's grizzled skipper (Pyrgus bellieri, syn. P. foulquieri) is a species of skipper (family Hesperiidae). It has a limited distribution in central and southern France and adjacent areas of Spain and Italy and also Corsica. Within this range it can be quite common.

As with other Pyrgus species, this is very difficult to identify in the field. It is often paler than most of its congeners with a yellowish suffusion, especially in the female. The hindwings usually have pale markings forming a continuous band. The wingspan is 26–30 mm.See Juan L. Hernández-Roldán and Miguel L. Munguira 2008 for differentiation from P. alveus^[1]

The adults are on the wing in July and August.

The larval food plant is Potentilla.

The species name honours Gedeon Foulquier.

References

• Whalley, Paul - Mitchell Beazley Guide to Butterflies (1981, reprinted 1992)

External links

• Lepiforum.de
• Fauna Europaea

Notes and References

1. Juan L. Hernández-Roldán and Miguel L. Munguira: Multivariate analysis techniques in the study of the male genitalia of Pyrgus bellieri (Oberthür 1910) and P. alveus (Hübner 1803) (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae): species discrimination and distribution in the Iberian Peninsula, Annales de la Societé entomologique de France, Nouvelle Series, 44(2) : 145-155, Paris 2008