Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Hesperiidae Scientific name Pyrgus cirsii | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Genus Pyrgus Rank Species | |
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Similar Safflower skipper, Large grizzled skipper, Rosy grizzled skipper, Carcharodus lavatherae, Oberthür's grizzled skipper | ||
The cinquefoil skipper (Pyrgus cirsii) is a species of skipper butterfly (family Hesperiidae). It has a scattered distribution in central and southern Europe, and several isolated populations in north-eastern Turkey and in Armenia.
This species has a wingspan of 26–28 mm and, typically of its genus, can be very difficult to identify in the field. It is sometimes considered a subspecies of the carline skipper (P. carlinae) as the two are known to interbreed where their ranges overlap in the Alps but can usually be recognised by the prominent squarish, rather than c-shaped, white spot near the costa of the forewing and the usually deeper red-brown underwings. The cinquefoil skipper flies in July and August.
The larval food plant is spring cinquefoil (Potentilla neumanniana).