Cinquefoil Skipper

(Pyrgus cirsii)

Female 07/08/06 Var (83)

Underside of above insect, 07/08/06 Var (83)

This species was formerly described as a subspecies of the Carline Skipper (Pyrgus carlinae) which is an alpine species flying generally at high altitudes. Nowadays it seems accepted by most authors as a separate species following a biochemical study in 1997 indicating that the two species are not genetically close. Typically the forewing upperside of P.cirsii is distinctive; the cell mark on the forewing is large and squareish and the white marks in the discal area of space 1b are fused together to form a thick, white 'twist' which I liken to a ruffled flag flying in the wind. The white discal marks in spaces 2 and 3 are also quite large........and using my eccentric vision (!!) I maintain that this ensemble of markings (cell-spot, twist in 1b and discal marks spaces 2 & 3) are similar to the 'facial expression' that one might punch out of a pumpkin at Halloween. In the male at least, the white markings on the hindwing upperside seem generally well developed (as one would expect in P.armoricanus for example) although as with other Pyrgus the females are likely to show under developed markings in many respects. The photographed specimen above is a female and although the upper hindwing is largely obscured the markings don't look especially prominent. P.cirsii is usually reported as flying at more modest altitudes than P.carlinae with the main distribution from northern Spain through south-eastern France and marginal colonies outside this zone in decline. This species starts emerging in high summer from mid-July.