Pyrgus centaureae
(Rambur, 1839)
Northern Grizzled Skipper
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Pyrgus centaureae: /ˈpɪrɡəs sɛnˈtɔːriˌi/
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Images
Habitat
Mountainous regions of Scandinavia.
Distribution
Scandinavia (Norway, Finland); also recorded in North America.
Seasonality
active June and July.
Diet
feed on Dwarf birch (Betula nana) in their first year of development, switching to Cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus) in their second year.
Host Associations
- Betula nana - larval foodplantUsed during first year of larval development
- Rubus chamaemorus - larval foodplantUsed during second year of larval development
Life Cycle
Development spans two years. switch foodplants between the first and second year.
More Details
Bivoltine foodplant switching
One of only two European known to switch larval foodplants between years of development. This trait is shared with the Scarce Fritillary (Euphydryas maturna), though that species switches between unrelated (Oleaceae to Viburnaceae) rather than within the same individual.
Genome sequencing
sequence published 2025 as part of Darwin Tree of Life initiative (Wellcome Open Research).


