The lifecycle and ecology ofthe Spinose Skipper- Favria cribrellum (Eversmann, 1841) in the Republic ofNorth Macedonia (Lepidoptera, Hesperiidae)

The Spinose Skipper, Favria cribrellum (Eversmann, 1841) [formerly inMuschampia] is consid-ered to be a very localised species in Easter n Europe occurring in only a small number of isolated colonies. Its ecology, especially relating to its host plant, has long remained unknown. Only in the last decade of research has more light been shed on the distribution and habitat requirements of this species i n its wester n range. The host plant of the Spinose Skipper in the Republic of North Macedonia is revealed for the first time. Three eggs and three larvae were discovered in 2017 on a species ofPotentilla, tentatively identified as P. detommasii, from a site near Govrlevo, SW of Skopje. The choice of a cinquefoil as a hostplant provides new evidence to support the species recent separation from the genus Muschampia.