Foulquier's grizzled skipper

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.

Foulquier's grizzled skipper
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Hesperiidae
Genus: Pyrgus
Species:
P. bellieri
Binomial name
Pyrgus bellieri
(Oberthür, 1910)

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

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  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
  • Whalley, Paul - Mitchell Beazley Guide to Butterflies (1981, reprinted 1992) ISBN 0-85533-348-0
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