It was formerly called the mallow skipper. This is a small butterfly common in Europe, North Africa and East Asia. In Israel it is common in most parts of the country, in spring and summer (from February to November). Its wingspan is about 30 mm. It produces a large number of generations.
The female lays her eggs on mallow, hollyhock and other plant species in the mallow family. It also lays on the euphorbia-leaved heliotrope from the Euphorbiaceae. The egg is white, spherical, and covered with many protrusions over its entire surface.
The caterpillar hatching from the egg is hairy, greenish-gray in color and has a black head. For protection it builds itself a "house" from folds of the host plant's leaf. As it matures, its color changes to gray, its head is black and it has yellow spots on its neck. When it reaches a size of about 25 mm it pupates inside its "house".
The pupa is gray and about 15 mm long. Its stage lasts about two to three weeks. Late-summer pupae undergo a winter diapause of about three months.