Large Chequered Skipper

Large Chequered Skipper

Heteropterus morpheus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Paris

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

6 Verified sightings at Paris
21 In all 2 parks From 2019 to 2026
July Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Large Chequered Skipper

The large chequered skipper (Heteropterus morpheus) is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is the single member of the monotypic genus Heteropterus. The species can be found in isolated populations in Europe and east across the Palearctic to Central Asia and Korea. It is endangered in the Netherlands.

The length of the forewings is 15–18 mm. The butterfly has a very distinctive and attractive underside but a drab upperside (which is rarely seen, as it usually settles with wings closed). The upper side is quite dark brown and it is the reverse which is characteristic with brown fore wings in part covered by the hind wing and in the visible part the same ornamentation as the hind wings, on an ochre ground three lines of spots white ovals surrounded by black and a white border cut with black.

H. morpheus Pall. (= steropes Schiff.) (87 b). Forewing above black with 3 apical... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Biebrza National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
~20%
2 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Novosibirsk 🇷🇺 Russia
~10%
2 Vienna 🇦🇹 Austria
<5%
3 Paris 🇫🇷 France
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Large Chequered Skipper in Paris?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Large Chequered Skipper sighting in Paris on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 827th most-seen of the 916 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Large Chequered Skipper in Paris?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Large Chequered Skipper in Paris on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Large Chequered Skipper?

Between noon and 3 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Large Chequered Skipper sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Paris the best place to see a Large Chequered Skipper?

3rd of 3

Of the 3 cities where we can rate Large Chequered Skipper sightings, Paris ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Novosibirsk (Russia, about 10%) and Vienna (Austria, under 5%).

Which relatives of the Large Chequered Skipper live in Paris?

Same family: Hesperiidae

The closest relatives of the Large Chequered Skipper that you can see in Paris (family Hesperiidae, Skippers) are Far Eastern Large Skipper (about 10%) and Mallow Skipper (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Large Chequered Skipper sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Large Chequered Skipper is recorded against all the insects logged in Paris (6 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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