# Chequered skipper (*Carterocephalus palaemon*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/chequered-skipper  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The chequered skipper (Carterocephalus palaemon) is an insect in the butterflies and moths subgroup, belonging to the family Hesperiidae and subfamily Heteropterinae within the order Lepidoptera. Its wingspan has a representative value of 2.55 cm, and our sources report values from 1.9 to 3.2 cm. The IUCN Red List assesses the chequered skipper globally as Least Concern, which is not a threatened category. It is also called the Arctic skipper, Checkered skipper or Arctic skipperling, and its scientific name carries the authority (Pallas, 1771).

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | Not recorded |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Wingspan | 1.9 cm – 3.2 cm |
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Diet | Nectarivore |
| Main food | flowers |
| Habitat | forest, freshwater, grassland, shrubland, wetland |
| Young per litter or clutch | Not recorded |
| Active | By day (diurnal) |
| On the wing | April to August |
| Generations a year | Two |
| Larval food plants | Poaceae family |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Arthropoda
- class: Insecta
- order: Lepidoptera
- family: Hesperiidae
- genus: Carterocephalus
- species: *Carterocephalus palaemon* (Pallas, 1771)

Synonyms: *Carterocephalus albinotica*, *Carterocephalus conjuncta*, *Carterocephalus infralba*, *Carterocephalus palaemon borealis*, *Carterocephalus paniscus*, *Cyclopides aurantia*, *Cyclopides circumcincta*, *Cyclopides esperi*, *Cyclopides excessa*, *Cyclopides luteaexcessa*, *Cyclopides lutearestricta*, *Cyclopides restricta*, *Hesperia paniscus*, *Heteropterus paniscus*, *Pamphila bolleni*, *Pamphila borealis*, *Pamphila carrueli*, *Pamphila confluens*, *Pamphila depuncta*, *Pamphila ederi*, *Pamphila extrema*, *Pamphila freyi*, *Pamphila habeneyi*, *Pamphila luteana*, *Pamphila melicertes*, *Pamphila nigra*, *Pamphila palaemon*, *Pamphila pulchra*, *Papilio brontes*, *Papilio palaemon*, *Papilio paniscus*, *Steropes paniscus*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the chequered skipper?

The chequered skipper is an insect in the butterflies and moths subgroup. It belongs to the order Lepidoptera and the family Hesperiidae.

### How big is the chequered skipper?

The chequered skipper has a representative wingspan of 2.55 cm. Our sources report wingspans from 1.9 to 3.2 cm.

### Is the chequered skipper endangered?

No. The chequered skipper is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List in its global assessment, which is not a threatened category.

### What is the scientific name of the chequered skipper?

The scientific name of the chequered skipper is Carterocephalus palaemon, in the genus Carterocephalus.

### Who named the chequered skipper and when?

The name Carterocephalus palaemon carries the authority (Pallas, 1771).

### What other names does the chequered skipper have?

The chequered skipper is also called the Arctic skipper, Checkered skipper, Arctic skipperling and Chequered skipper butterfly.

## Sources

- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [LepTraits 1.0: a globally comprehensive dataset of butterfly traits](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.19874602.v1), CC0 1.0, 1.0. Shirey, V., Larsen, E., Doherty, A. et al. (2022) LepTraits 1.0: a globally comprehensive dataset of butterfly traits. Scientific Data 9: 382. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-022-01473-5. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.19874602.v1
- [TraitCH: a multi-taxa functional trait dataset for Switzerland and Europe](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15063844), CC BY 4.0, 2.0. Chauvier, Y., Adde, A., Bergamini, A. et al. (2025) TraitCH: a multi-taxa functional trait dataset for Switzerland and Europe. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15063844
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Chequered skipper (Carterocephalus palaemon). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/chequered-skipper