Butterfly Conservation
Hertfordshire and Middlesex Target Species Guide 2005

Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus malvae)

	Grizzled Skipper Pyrgus malvae © photo: Alan Downie

Status

The Grizzled Skipper has been identified as a Candidate UK BAP Priority Species The Grizzled Skipper is identified in the Thames Regional Action Plan as having Medium Priority status. A copy of the Species Action Plan can be downloaded here

For full details of the Eastern Region Grizzled Skipper Awareness Campaign click here

Behaviour and Identification

Grizzled Skippers are small lively moth-like butterflies, which fly in early spring and dart about busily in warm sunshine, almost disappearing as their wings blur against surrounding flowers and grasses. Sometimes the males soar skywards to court females or chase off rivals. When they perch on prominent twigs, bask with wings open and backs to the sun or take nectar from Bugle or Forget-me-not their distinctive black and white chequerboard wing pattern makes them readily identifiable. In dull weather or at night they rest, often communally, on grass or flowerheads. Although well-camouflaged and hard to spot, for a sharp-eyed naturalist this is a good time to observe and count them

© photo: Chris Pickford	© photo: John Stevens	© photo: John Stevens	© photo: Liz Goodyear

Grizzled Skippers in roosting or semi-roosting position - note the size in relation to the flower heads in particular the forget me knot

Flight Period and Life History

This species is usually single-brooded and adults may appear from late April. By mid-June the flight season has finished and the next generation of eggs have been laid singly on the underside of leaves of foodplants, such as Wild Strawberry, Common Agrimony, Tormentil and Creeping Cinquefoil. The females choose plants growing in warm situations next to bare ground or low-growing vegetation. The tiny yellow caterpillar emerges after about 10 days. It spins a protective tent along the midrib of its leaf, venturing out only to feed or build a new, larger tent. It nibbles the leaf around the edges of its shelter leaving characteristic blotches that are easy to spot. As the caterpillars grow they move to more nutrient-rich taller plants, such as Bramble. They overwinter as pupae inside cocoons of leaves and silk amongst low-growing vegetation. The adult butterflies normally live in small colonies of about 100. Most adults stay within the colony, but some fly up to 1.5km and may be able to fly much further.

Wild Strawberry fragaria vesca © photo: Malcolm Storey BioImages - Virtual Field-Guide (UK)	Wild Strawberry fragaria vesca © photo: Malcolm Storey BioImages - Virtual Field-Guide (UK)	Tormentil  potentlla erecta © photo: C.Shepperson

Habitats

Grizzled Skippers flourish in habitats characterised by sunny, sheltered conditions. They need a plentiful supply of spring nectar plants for feeding, an abundance of larval foodplants for breeding and patches of ranker vegetation for perching and roosting. They occupy 3 main habitat types; woodland clearings* (in Hertfordshire this was typified by the colony that used to be found in the glades at Broxbourne Woods) unimproved, often chalky, and usually scrubby grassland (the colony at Aldbury Nowers is located in this type of habitat) and recently abandoned artificial habitats such as gravel pits and railway lines (e.g. the colonies at the disused gravel workings at Waterford Heath and those along the railway near Welwyn North Station).

This butterfly is near the north of its range in Britain. Its strongholds are in the southern English counties, although it also occurs in central England and Wales. It is generally very local and is declining throughout its British range, especially in flat heavily farmed areas. This decline has been especially steep since the 1950s with habitat loss and long cold springs as important contributory factors.

* There are now no known woodland colonies in Hertfordshire

Typical Grizzled Skipper habitat © photo: Andrew Wood	Typical Grizzled Skipper habitat © photo: Andrew Wood
Waterford Heath © photo: Christine Shepperson	Waterford Heath © photo: Christine Shepperson

Distribution in Hertfordshire and Middlesex

The butterfly is thought to be extinct in Middlesex, but is still known in Hertfordshire. When Brian Sawford published The Butterflies of Hertfordshire in 1987, Grizzled Skippers had been recorded in 38 of the 450 or so 2km x 2km squares (tetrads) in Hertfordshire since 1970. By 1995 there were no confirmed sightings at all in Hertfordshire. Fortunately it was found again in 1996 and during a countywide survey from 1998 - 2000 by a team of voluntary recorders from the Herts and Middx Branch of Butterfly Conservation records were confirmed at some traditional sites and two new ones. Between 1996 and 2000 Grizzled Skippers were found, normally in fairly small colonies, in 17 tetrads in the County. It is now clear that this little butterfly, although vulnerable, is still hanging on in Hertfordshire , although at several of its sites it depends on conservation management for habitat maintenance.

Three important Grizzled Skipper sites in the County are being regularly monitored to study population trends. Some of the known sites are HMWT Reserves and at some sites Conservation management plans are already in place. Butterfly Conservation is negotiating to lease and manage a further site. Finally, and very importantly, Butterfly Conservation, HMWT and the Hertfordshire Countryside Forum are co-operating in their efforts to ‘halt and reverse the decline’ in this species and to maintain and increase existing colonies.

Although the three year survey (1998 - 2000) into the distribution of the Grizzled Skipper in Hertfordshire has now finished, it is still important to monitor colonies at the established sites and continue to explore potentially suitable habitats to search for more sites.

• Table 1 below shows some of the sites where the butterfly was found in the survey (confidential, private sites and those where the habitat is no longer suitable are not included)
  
• Table 2 is a list of sites that might prove suitable and which might be worth exploring
  
• Table 3 shows the flight dates over recent years. Any sightings should be recorded and in the usual way but I would also be glad to hear of them and can be reached by email or post at the addresses below.

Distribution in Hertfordshire and Middlesex

Table 1: Sites where grizzled Skippers were found 1996-2004

Site/habitat	Tetrad	Last record	Site/habitat	Tetrad	Last record
Stubbings Wood	SP91A	1998	Digswell railway cutting (no access to railway line, view from footpath)	TL21N	1999?
Aldbury Nowers	SP91L	2004	Harmer Green Wood	TL21N	1997
Tring Park	SP91F	2004	Watery Grove	TL22G	1996
Telegraph Hill	TL12E	2004	Broxbourne Woods	TL30I	"000
Dawley Warren	TL21M & S	1999	Waterford Heath	TL31C	2004
Welwyn North Station	TL21M	2001

Table 2: Sites that might have potential for Grizzled Skipper colonies

The list was put together from a variety of sources, including OS Maps, information held at County Hall, personal communications from members of the survey recording team etc. It has not always been possible to establish ownership and access rights. So if anyone decides to visit a site these aspects should be considered and permission may need to be obtained from landowners.

I do not think the list adequately covers potential sites in the west of the county around the existing excellent sites at Aldbury Nowers and Tring Park. This is an area with potential and would be worthy of more exploration.

Site	Tetrad Ref.	Habitat
Amwellbury Quarry	TL31L	Disused gravel pit. Sandy. No official access. Bare and grassy.
Balls Wood/ Hertford Heath	TL31M	HMWT nature reserve. Mixed wood, wide rides and acid heath. The HMWT have coppiced here at the south end of the wood.
Baldwin’s Wood, Flaunden	TQ0199	Some rides with Wild Strawberry
Bayford/ Brickendon/ Hertford*	TL30E/J & TL31F	Footpath from Bayford along railway to Brickendon, and links disused gravel pits. Record of Grizzled Skipper in TL30E in 1972. *March 2002: Recent tree clearance and work to the railway embankment south of Hertford (TL 320112) may have improved the habitat for Grizzled Skipper. This area would be well worth surveying this year.
Berrybushes Wood	TL00Q	Where footpath goes along east margin of the wood there are areas of Wild Strawberry
Berrygrove Wood	TQ19J	Woodland mainly deciduous. Grizzled Skipper recorded there in 1992
Blagrove Common	TL33G	HMWT Reserve. Neutral grassland on chalky boulder clay, springs and marshy area.
Cheshunt Park Farm	TL30M	Gravel pit, across former small woods south of Wormleybury. Some active workings. Part of site is a public park, golf course & lake.
Chorleywood Dell	TQ0397	Sheltered NR, some Wild Strawberry
Danesbury Park	TL21I	Local nature reserve. Unimproved parkland. Parts of the area grazed by longhorn cattle. Large areas of longer grass, scrub and some mature trees. Large areas of Creeping Cinquefoil, small areas of Wild Strawberry.
Danemead wood	TL30N/P	HMWT reserve, scrub woodland and wildflower meadow, small area of short vegetation with Creeping Cinquefoil; sheltered
Easneye estate	TL3713	Small chalk pit and parkland by River Ash.
Hadham Towers	TL41I	Bridleway to Stanstead Hill starts at HCC Depot, runs below wooded slope. Wild Strawberry here & in Hertfordshire CC depot. Grassy path from Sidehill Wood looks possible.
Highfield Wood	TL30P	Part of Broxbourne Woods complex
Highwood	TL22W	/p>
Hoddesdon Quarry	TL30N/T	Three small pits one poorly restored/unrestored, one being worked, one restored, grassed, tree-planting. Creeping Cinquefoil present.
Langleybury	TQ0799	In-filled Gravel pit off Old House Lane, between wood & M25. Possible area near wood
Panshanger aerodrome	TL21W	Disused gravel pit and active workings
Panshanger Estate	TL21R	Parkland with active gravel workings and disused pit. Possible area on footpath through infilled gravel workings.
Rickney’s Quarry	TL3014/ TL3214	Active gravel pit near Waterford, several footpaths. Bare/grassy strips around edge. Some Wild Strawberry on north side adjacent to Bardon Clumps in sunny position & some on more sheltered west side
Rookery Wood	TL22V	A wood from which gravel was extracted. Some replanting. Wide rides.
Pound Hill Wood	SP90J	Large open area in beech, pine, oak and silver birch woodland. Wild Strawberry present
Stotfold Road Railway line	TL2030	Chalky land beside railway, not accessible but visible from road.
The Commons Welwyn Garden City	TL2410	Local Nature Reserve, with a flowery grassy meadow and hill
Watton at Stone	TL21Z	Adjacent to the railway line south of Watton. Track is in steep cutting here. Can walk along minor road beside track to north of specified area & up to the Watton Road.
Westmill	TL31N	Footpath bounded by low hedges, grasses, wild flowers, skirting disused/active gravel pit, being infilled. Creeping Cinquefoil present.
West Hyde lakes	TQ0391	Used for fishing. Grassy, flowery areas

Table 3: Flight dates 1996 - 2004
Flight Dates	Year
09 May - 10 June	2004
22 April - 15 June	2003
May - 1 June	2002
20 May - 25 June	2001
07 May – 16 June	2000
02 May – 15 June	1999
14 May – 19 June	1998
13 April - 8 June	1997
27 April - 15 June	1996

Click on map for details

SYMBOL	DATE	REFERENCE SOURCE
	1998-2004	Indicates records sent to Christine Shepperson or Jez Perkins
	1995-2001	Additional sites where Grizzled Skipper were found 1995-1999 taken from the Herts & Middx Butterfly Report for 1999 - John B. Murray & Rob Souter
	970-1987	indicates records taken from Butterflies of Hertfordshire - Brian Sawford 1987 or The Butterflies of the London Area - Colin Plant 1987
O		Sites that might have potential for Grizzled Skipper colonies

Acknowledgements

Much of the text on this page was originally printed in Wildlife Matters, the newsletter of the Herts & Middx Wildlife Trust and the author thanks the Trust for permission to use the material on this website.

Christine Shepperson
March 2002

Records
Please send any records of colonies, singletons or potential sites to:
Jez Perkins
Telephone: 07967 832627

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