Upon emerging as adult butterflies, grizzled skippers are quite active during the day and tend to favour blue or violet-coloured plants for food.

[5][6] Exhibiting territorial behaviour, males apply perching and patrolling strategies to mate with a desired female.

[1] In terms of a species complex, Pyrgus malvae is considered a superspecies that consists of three semispecies, which exhibit geographic variations in the genitalia of both male and female butterflies.

In fact, interbreeding has been observed between the malvae and malvoides types, indicating their close relation - namely that they are both part of the same species.

The butterflies are on the wing in April and May and again from the end of July onwards, on sunny slopes, roads among fields and clearings in woods, being common everywhere in Central Europe.

[8] Pygrus malvae can be found throughout Western Europe in northern Scandinavia, parts of Greece, and some of the Mediterranean Islands.

[3][9] Woodland: This mainly consists of sparsely distributed vegetation and can have regions of bare ground that result from cutting or windblow.

[1] Industrial: Sparse vegetation with mainly wild strawberry or creeping cinquefoil depending on whether the environment is along a railway or clay working.

This evidence indicates that when butterflies from this species forage for food, they are particularly attentive to short-wavelength light that is reflected off flowers.

[4][1] An overarching theme in behavioral ecology can be seen through female grizzled skipper investment in host plant selection.

However, these two different habitats are used significantly and may be evolutionary adaptations to offset the grizzled skippers’ risk of extinction imposed by a polarized weather pattern.

[9] Eggs are mainly found on agrimony, creeping cinquefoil, and wild strawberry plants, which provide nourishment for larvae.

[1] Other plants that can be considered include barren strawberry, tormentil, salad burnet, bramble, dog rose, and wood avens.

At first, larvae live and spend the vast majority of their time within ‘tents’ that they build on the host leaf, and this partially feeds into their restricted mobility.

Plants that are higher in nitrogen content and nutrition are more highly incorporated into the diets of larger larvae, as are coarser shrubs.

[1] Host plants located on molehills are favored for early larval stages due to open vegetation that is available as well as bare ground and warmer microclimates.

Active during the day and focused on feeding or basking, they roost on tall vegetation like marjoram, knapweed, and St John's-wort.

Ants are recognized as potential predators for lycaenid caterpillars, therefore, vibration signaling most likely functions as an anti-predatory survival mechanism.

Akin to lycaenids, grizzled skippers may use these vibrations as signals to communicate with ants and potentially as an attempt to temper aggression.

The process involves the male first locating a female visually, then using low concentrations of the pheromones at a relatively close proximity to indicate its viability as a mate.

[12] As a result of climate warming, the grizzled skipper appears to show decreases in northern range margin, distribution area, and abundance.

Additionally, these properties enable the grizzled skipper to avoid excess weight bearing, consequently promoting secure and efficient flight patterns.

The species has experienced significant declines (ranging from 25% to over 50%) in Britain, Croatia, Belgium, European Turkey, and the Netherlands.

Less severe decline can be seen in the Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, Romania, Sweden, Slovakia, and Asian Turkey.