The European Mallow Skipper Butterfly (Carcharodus alceae alceae) is an insect in the Hesperiidae family of skippers.
The European Mallow Skipper has pinkish-brown forewings (front wngs) with brown markings. Its hindwings (back wings) are brown to grey-brown. The male does not have hair tufts on the underside of its forewings. It has a brown body, legs, and antennae.
It has a wingspan of about 3 centimetres (one inch).
It is common across Europe and northern Africa. It prefers dry, warm, and stony areas.
The female lays eggs on the surface of leaves. The eggs hatch into caterpillars, which eat plant leaves. The caterpilarrs pupate into a chrysalis and then the adult European Mallow Skipper emerges. This is called metamorphosis. The adult butterfly is seen from April to October.
Location of photographs: Paris, France
Photographer: Martina Nicolls
Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM