Pyrgus - all species except Safflower Skipper (pyrgus carthami) and Yellow-banded Skipper (pyrgus sidae)

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2007 photos highlighted yellow    Click on photo to enlarge or scroll down

 

A very confusing family of Grizzled Skippers. I have grouped them all together on one page for comparison. I have excluded carthami and sidae as they can be identified with some certainty, but I have included malvae as the variability of this species means that it can sometimes pose a question of ID. I am unsure about those that I have marked (?), or even (??) where I really don't have a clue, and I intend to undertake a more detailed study over the next few weeks. Comment is actively invited. 

 

The pyrgus on this page include:

I have not seen the these pyrgus species:  Foulquier's Grizzled Skipper (P. foulquieri), Dusky Grizzled Skipper (P. cacaliae) or Warren's Skipper (P. warrenensis).

 

I have grouped together first the undersides, then the uppersides, for direct comparison purposes. I have also added the notes on each photo under the enlarged version, as pyrgus ID is so complex.

5244_male_Var_8May07 - malvae 2807_male_Var_21Jul06 - alveus (??)
2851_female_Var_21Jul06 - alveus (?) 3056_male_Alpes Maritimes_25Jul06 - carlinae
 
3471_male_Var_10Aug06 - cirsii  
3552_male_Var_10Aug06 - onopordi 7661_female_Var_30Jun07 - onopordi
5389_female_Var_14May07 - armoricanus 7851_male_Alpes de Haute Provence_3Jul07 - serratulae (??)
 
03_7-15_male_Ariege_Jun03 - serratulae  

03_7-15: in the underside shot, the unh yellowish ground colour and small uniformly round spot (but maybe too small) at the base of s6, and strong marginal marks in s1 and s2, strongly hint at serratulae. The upperside white upf marks look too strong for serratulae, but it is not unknown for different species to be puddling together.

 

5244_male_Var_8May07 - malvae

5244: a male malvae. The ground colour is dark brown, the veins clearly lighter, and the unh discal mark in s4/5 veins (vein 5 that dissects s4/5 is not visible here) is cleft and shaped like an old-fashioned clothes peg. All of the white marks are very clearly contrasted on the background. Altitude 220m.

 

2807_male_Var_21Jul06 - alveus (??)

2807: the pattern of white marks almost exactly matches the illustration given in T&L for foulquieri for each of the unh basal, discal and submarginal/marginal bands, and is clearly different from the other possibilities (chiefly alveus) in at least one key respect. Also, the unf white marks are visible in the upper area and these are jagged and also match T&L for foulquieri. However, the ID unh illustrations given in the Lafranchis French book are quite different to T&L and show 2807 as matching the illustration for alveus and not for foulquieri. Could the books actually agree with each other please? 2807 has a clear white discal mark in s2, not quite as wide as shown in Lafranchis, but Lafranchis shows this mark to be missing for alveus. H&R says the unh ground colour is yellow-brown (this is rather dark brown) and that it emerges late July (seen 21 July, so this matches). HOWEVER, the key to foulquieri male is the hairtuft at the end of the abdomen extends  under the abdomen, which 2807 doesn't. The only two sites revealed on an image search for pyrgus foulquieri that have credible images matching this criterion also do not match the Lafranchis illustration in certain respects. So 2807 is not foulquieri, and I guess it must be alveus, even though it was flying in company with 2851 which I believe to be female alveus but looks completely different. Altitude 800m.

 

2851_female_Var_21Jul06 - alveus (?)

2851: this is clearly a female from the body shape and I think it is alveus from the markings, even though they are rather indistinct. Altitude 800m, same location as 2807.

 

3056_male_Alpes Maritimes_25Jul06 - carlinae

3056: I believe this is a male even though the end of the abdomen is not very clear. This is clearly carlinae - the unh ground colour is pale reddish-brown, the discal markings in s4/s5 are quite narrow and neatly rectangular, those in s2 and s3 are absent, and the s1 mark is a "bump". The white marginal mark on vein 5 is clear and rectangular (not very clear on this photo as a result of shade). The white basal mark in s7 is rounded. Altitude 2000m.

 

3471_male_Var_10Aug06 - cirsii

3471: this is clearly a male as it is taking salts and the hairtuft at the end of the abdomen is clearly visible. I am reasonably confident that this cirsii as the discal s4/5 white mark is cleft externally and flat internally and quite square-ish, and slightly offset externally with regard to the mark in s7. The margin is largely unmarked, although the marginal mark on v5 is indistinct. The discal mark in s1 is a leaning bump, and the s7 mark in the basal region is rounded. The ground colour is a very yellowish brown. Altitude 800m.

 

3552_male_Var_10Aug06 - onopordi

3552: I'm guessing it's a male as it appears to be taking salts. I'll stick my neck out and say it's definitely onopordi for several reasons: the discal mark in s4/5 is very clearly anvil-shaped (see illustration below) - the key identifying characteristic for onopordi. The discal marks in s2 and s3 are vestigial. The discal mark in s1, rather a leaning bump (called the "signe de Blachier", presumable by - or after - Blachier who was a famous lepidopterist around the beginning of the 1900s) and the s1 basal mark, are also characteristic. Several of the white marks are black-edged giving a marbled effect. The veins are yellow. A terrific little butterfly. Altitude 800m.

 

7661_female_Var_30Jun07 - onopordi

7661: female onopordi. The ground colour is a very pale, washy, yellow-brown, making the white marks rather indistinct. The "anvil" unh discal mark in s4/5 is rather flat-edged internally although strongly black-edged externally. The unh s1 discal mark is not a typical "signe de Blachier". All in all, not a typical onopordi (c.f. the male 2552 above).

 

5389_female_Var_14May07 - armoricanus

5389: a female armoricanus. The ground colour is quite a light sandy brown with the veins just, but clearly, lighter, with the white marks reasonably clear and some darker edged. The discal mark in s4/5 looks slightly anvil-like suggesting onopordi, but I don't think it is. Both H&R and Lafranchis refer to a large round discal spot in s1c, and Lafranchis gives an illustration; I find this to be a rounded leaning bump with a rather flat bottom edge (it might be rounded below), as shown in T&L, although I would be reasonably confident (as confident as anyone can be about pyrgus ID) that 5389 is armoricanus. However, there is a small round discal spot in s2.

 

7851_male_Alpes de Haute Provence_3Jul07 - serratulae (??)

7851: this rather worn male is, I suspect, serratulae. H&R describes the ground colour as olive to yellow-green but unhelpfully doesn't give and any clues as to ID from the white marks. T&L is even less helpful. Lafranchis indicates that the strong marginal white marks in s1 and s2 are characteristic as is the round basal spot in s7 (it might actually be in s6, I'm not entirely clear on this). 7851 scores on the marginal marks, but the basal mark looks rounded rather than round as shown in the books, and the upper edge (and most of the lower edge) runs along the vein; is 7851 close enough? Or does the spot have to be round and not touching the veins? Photos on other, more authoritative, sites show the same roundness as 7851 so maybe this is enough. I'm still not 100% convinced on the colour, though, but the wear of the specimen and my own colour-blindness don't help here. see also 03_7-15 above, for which there is no enlarged shot.

 

Uppersides: return to top of page

 

5103_male_Var_29Apr07 - malvae 05_16-32_male_Hautes Alpes_5Jun05 - malvae
9030_male_Hautes Pyrenees_10Aug07 - alveus 1545_female_Var_4Jun06 - alveus
3321_male_Alpes Maritimes_28Jul06 - carlinae 3099_female_Alpes Maritimes_25Jul06 - carlinae
3550_male_Var_10Aug06 - cirsii 9373_female_Var_30Aug07 - cirsii
5005_male_Var_27Apr07 - onopordi 5823_female_Var_26May07 - onopordi (?)
6544_male_Var_6JUn07 - armoricanus (?) 8571_female_Var_27Jul07 - armoricanus
2168_male_Isere_30Jun06 - serratulae 3742_female_Alpes de Haute Provence_14Aug06 - serratulae
 
  7282_female_Alpes Maritimes_24Jun07 - andromedae

05_16-32: malvae: the rare aberration taras with extended white upf marks, which I have now seen on two occasions.

 

5103_male_Var_29Apr07 - malvae

5103: malvae: a male. Malvae in Var seem to be slightly larger than elsewhere, especially in the UK, with a lighter brown ground colour, and more diffuse white marginal marks on both upperwings. The uph discal white mark, which looks like a clothes peg in most book illustrations, often looks like a horizontal line with two tails dangling from it. All in all, they look quite like other pyrgus. Altitude 220m.

 

9030_male_Hautes Pyrenees_10Aug07 - alveus

9030: alveus: a male. I've rather come to the conclusion that it must/could be alveus by the dubious process of eliminating everything else. The virtually non-existent upf cell spot rules out many species. The uph markings are pale but quite well defined, which would normally tend to rule out alveus, but it is a male and this is probably about the limit of strength of uph markings for this species. The colouring is rather odd, with dark brown marginal areas, lightening to sandy brown in the upf basal area. Altitude 1600m.

 

1545_female_Var_4Jun06 - alveus

1545: alveus: a female based on the body shape. The upf markings are quite light and those in the post-discal area rather scruffy, indicative of alveus. The uph markings are pale although quite well developed. It has an alveus feel to me. However, according to Lafranchis, alveus is of uncertain status in Var, with no recent confirmed records. Altitude 230m.

 

3321_male_Alpes Maritimes_28Jul06 - carlinae

3321: carlinae: a male based on the suggestion of a hairtuft at the end of the abdomen, and general shape of the end of the abdomen. A very dark brown ground colour. The upf cell spot is sort of an outward "C" (the carlinae characteristic), not very convincing but not rectangular enough for cirsii. The post-discal white marks in s2/s3 are joined and slightly offset (sometimes looks sinuous). The altitude tends to support carlinae, an altitude species, with a normal minimum range of 1500m. Altitude 1800m.

 

3099_female_Alpes Maritimes_25Jul06 - carlinae

3099: carlinae: a female based on the apparent absence of a hairtuft at the end of the abdomen (although this is not entirely clear). The cell spot is a weakish outward curve or C and the s2/s3 white post-discal marks are more sinuous. The upf white marks are medium strength and the uph marks are pale but clearly visible. Altitude 1800m, not the same location as 3321.

 

3550_male_Var_10Aug06 - cirsii

3550: cirsii: one of the easier species (so let's hope I've got this one right), and a male, based on the clear hairtuft at the end of the abdomen. The upf white marks are large and strong and clearly defined, especially the rectangular cell spot (see illustration below) which is slightly concave internally in the lower half. The white post-discal spots in s2/s3 are joined and slightly offset, slightly "sinuous". Altitude 800m.

 

9373_female_Var_30Aug07 - cirsii

9373: cirsii: clearly a female based on the body shape. The strong rectangular upf cell spot is strongly indicative of cirsii, as are the pale but well-defined uph markings. Altitude 780m.

 

5005_male_Var_27Apr07 - onopordi

5005: onopordi: a male, with a strong dark brown ground colour and well-defined white upf markings, all suggesting onopordi. The early flight season confirms onopordi as the only other pyrgus that would be on the wing in April is malvae. Altitude 220m.

 

5823_female_Var_26May07 - onopordi (?)

5823: onopordi: a female, but I'm not entirely convinced this is onopordi even though it is the best match for markings. The ground colour is rather mid yellow-brown with a more sandy sandy area, suggestive of armoricanus, where I have always considered onopordi to be darker brown. The uph discal mark is quite rectangular and cleft, evoking what I feel may be characteristic of armoricanus. In the submarginal series of marks, the marks in s4 and s5 are displaced externally - is this indicative or armoricanus or do all pyrgus show this to a greater or lesser extent? However, the upf white marks are quite weak indicating onopordi, and that just swings it for me. Altitude 220m.

 

6544_male_Var_6JUn07 - armoricanus (?)

6544: armoricanus: I think this is a male, based on what I can just see of the body shape. The ground colour is very unusual, ranging from dark brown at the margins to quite sandy in the basal area. The upf white marks are fairly large and quite sharp-edged and the cell spot would normally be a strong clue to carlinae, except that the altitude was 220m and carlinae only occurs at altitudes above 1000m and most usually above 1500m. I think it is too strongly marked for alveus and serratulae, so I'll plump for armoricanus. Altitude 220m.

 

8571_female_Var_27Jul07 - armoricanus

8571: armoricanus: a female, the pale sandy dusting across most of the upperside is, I suspect, indicative of armoricanus. I would certainly expect the upf white marks to be stronger for armoricanus (c.f. my comments on 5823) but the sandy feel pushes me in the direction of armoricanus. Altitude 780m.

 

2168_male_Isere_30Jun06 - serratulae

2168: serratulae: the ground colour is quite dark brown, with a limited number of small but clear white spots. The abdominal hairtuft clearly indicates a male. The thin cell spot rules out cirsii, onopordi, and armoricanus and it is not sufficiently C-shaped for carlinae. The options seem to be only alveus and serratulae, both of which have pale indistinct uph markings, so that doesn't help. My instincts (this means I have run out of anything more conclusive) suggest serratulae as the upf markings match the book illustrations quite well. Altitude 1200m.

 

3742_female_Alpes de Haute Provence_14Aug06 - serratulae

3742: serratulae: very pale and drab, with very few markings on the upf all of which are concentrated in s5-7, with s1-4 almost completely unmarked. The uph is almost completely unmarked with very pale, almost vestigial, markings. It is almost certainly a female based on body shape. It could be alveus, carlinae, or serratulae, the females of which are all lightly marked; I would plump for serratulae on the grounds that the uph is virtually unmarked (alveus and carlinae have pale but somewhat stronger uph markings), and the absence of any upf markings in s1-4 which matches the book illustrations of serratulae, whereas alveus and carlinae have some weak markings in these areas. The strength of the cell spot does give me some concerns about serratulae, though. All three have an upper altitude range in excess of 2000m, so the altitude would not tend to eliminate any of these three possibilities. Altitude 2000m.

 

7282_female_Alpes Maritimes_24Jun07 - andromedae

7282: andromedae: a female from the body shape. Very tricky. I did not see the underside which would have helped the ID considerably. The options are really alveus or andromedae. The ground colour is a dark grey-brown for both, although 7282 is greyer than many alveus I (think I) have seen. The almost completely unmarked uph is suggestive of andromedae, as are the strong and elongated white marks. As are the two strong ashes above the upf cell spot (thanks to Tim Cowles for this). The only thing against andromedae is that all the books quote the three white discal marks is s1 and s2 as being characteristic of andromedae and 7282 has one and maybe a hint of a second mark, but not three; however, this area looks quite grey, hairy, and generally obscure, and 7282 dies match the photo in Lafranchis (which also doesn't seem to have these three white marks) quite well. On the balance of this evidence, I'd go for andromedae. Altitude 2100m.