Lepidoptera The Grizzled Skipper Butterfly – Syrichthus Malva

The ground color of this species is a very dark brown, relieved by a number of square white spots arranged as shown in fig. 11 of Butterflies ImagePlate VII. The fringe is wide, and barred with the same two colours, arranged alternately. The pattern of the under side is similar, but the dark brown of the upper surface is replaced by a lighter olive tint.

The butterfly may be looked for in May in the open spaces of woods, particularly in damp places. It is common all over England, and is found also in the south of Scotland.

The caterpillar is either green or brownish, with a darker dorsal stripe of the same color, and two white lines on each side. It feeds on the raspberry (Rubus idaus), the bramble (R. fruticosus), and the strawberry-leaved cinquefoil (Potentilla Fragariastrum), and is full fed about the end of June.

The chrysalis is greyish, spotted with black. It is rather elongated, and without angles, but has a short and sharp projection extending backwards from the ‘tail.’