Pyrgus malvae

Hostplant: Potentilla sp., Filipendula ulmaria, Fragaria vesca. I used both F.ulmaria and F.vesca in my breeding.

Lifecycle and behavior: The female laid her eggs on the tip or edges of the leaves on the hostplant, sometimes singularly and sometimes in small clusters of 3-4 eggs. The eggs used 6-7 days to hatch. The newly hatched larva immediately made a small housing with the leaves made of silk. This behavior continued all the way up to the pupal stage. The larva fed on the leaves, usually during the night, staying still and resting inside its housing during daytime. The larval stage lasted about 2 weeks. I did not manage to keep track on how many stages there was in the larval stage. The pupa hibernates. In my breeding 4 adults hatched the same year, after about 3-4 weeks as pupa. The butterfly hatches in early spring, usually from May to June. During warm springs, it can be on the wing in late April.