A small dark brown, butterfly without white markings, with a short, chequered antenna, found resting on rocks. There are a series of pale-yellow marks on the underside of the wing. On the upperside, the female is paler, with a variable pale series of yellow marks. It could potentially be confused with Eyrnnis marloyi , which had two black bands on the forewing upperside. A more serious point of confusion is that between G.pumilio and G. nostrodamus neither of which can really be distinguished from each other without either DNA analysis or examination of their genetailia.
Dry flower rich habitats, with bare ground for thermoregulation.
Greater Quaking Grass Briza maxima, Lesser Quaking Grass Briza minor, Annual Meadow Grass Poa annua, Bulbous Meadow Grass Poa bulbosa, Poa cephalonica, Poa compressa, Poa glauca, Poa infirma, Poa jubata, Poa maroccana, Poa perligularis, Poa timoleontis, Rough Meadow-grass Poa trivialis.
It is only during this species' second brood, in the autumn, when its abundance is so high as to make it recurrently encountered by the butterfly enthusiast. Then it can be commonly seen on the blooms of the Aromatic Inula Dittrichia vicosa. During this time it flies very fast and often sits on warm surfaces in full sun, to speed up its reactions and so avoid predation.
*The information provided in the tables below is based on verified sightings of the Pygmy Skipper submitted via this website since 1st January 2021.
Year | First | Last/latest | # Days |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | 21/05/2021 | 25/10/2021 | 157 days |
2019 | 16/08/2019 | 16/09/2019 | 31 days |
Year | Number of observations |
---|---|
2022 | 0 |
2021 | 30 |
Grand Total | 32 |
Distribution map for the Pygmy Skipper based on the data submitted online via this website will be available below soon.
The chart below shows Pygmy Skipper flight data by month for 2022 submitted online since 1st January 2022 to 17th May 2022.
The chart below shows Pygmy Skipper flight data by month based on all data submitted online since 1st January 2019 to 17th May 2022.
For a list of references, please see our bibliography page.