Marbled Skipper (Carcharodus lavatherae)
Marbled Skipper (Carcharodus lavatherae)
Marbled Skipper (Carcharodus lavatherae)
Marbled Skipper (Carcharodus lavatherae)
Marbled Skipper (Carcharodus lavatherae)
Marbled Skipper (Carcharodus lavatherae)

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Marbled Skipper (Carcharodus lavatherae)


Photo © Kars Veling
FamilyHesperiidae
SubfamilyPyrginae
GenusCarcharodus
Specieslavatherae
Authority(Esper, 1783)
English NameMarbled Skipper
European Red List 2010Near Threatened (NT)
EU 27 Red List 2010Near Threatened (NT)
European Red List 2025Near Threatened (NT)
EU 27 Red List 2025Near Threatened (NT)
Habitats Directive
Bern Convention
CITES

Description

The green sheen on the upperside of the wings and body of the Marbled Skipper distinguish it from other skippers in this genus. It lives in warm, flower-rich places. Populations are usually small, and it is exceptional to see a large number of these butterflies gathered together. On very hot days, needing to drink, they look for damp ground. The eggs are laid singly on the sepals of various woundworts (Stachys spp.), especially Perennial Yellow Woundwort (S. recta). The young caterpillars spin a loose shelter from leaves, under which they hide themselves while they feed, first eating the seeds and, later, the leaves of the plant. They hibernate in the third or fourth instar and pupate at the foot of the foodplant. The Marbled Skipper is single-brooded.

Distribution

Albania / Andorra / Austria / Bosnia and Herzegovina / Bulgaria / Croatia / France / France: Mainland / Germany (Regionally Extinct) / Greece / Greece: Mainland / Hungary (Regionally Extinct) / Italy / Italy: Mainland / Italy: Sicily / North Macedonia / Moldova / Montenegro / Romania / European Russia / Serbia / Serbia: Serbia / Serbia: Kosovo / Slovakia (Regionally Extinct) / Slovenia / Spain / Spain: Mainland / Switzerland / European Türkiye / Ukraine /

Larval Foodplants

#OrderFamilyGenusSpeciesVernacular NameLink
1LamialesLamiaceaeSideritishirsuta
2LamialesLamiaceaeSideritishyssopifolia
3LamialesLamiaceaeStachysplumosa
4LamialesLamiaceaeStachysrectaPerennial Yellow-woundwort