Description
This skipper has a striking checked, brown with yellow top which makes it easy to distinguish from its relatives. The under side is similar to C. silvicolus and H. morpheus. In sunny weather it can be found drinking on damp soils. The eggs are deposited separately on grass. The caterpillar feeds on grasses and grass has a tube in which he lives. Hibernates as caterpillar. The top is dark brown with a yellow ocher staining pattern. The bottom has a paler color than the top, with very light patches. Males are completely black while the females antenna switches the underside is yellow. The young caterpillar is green in color but as he grows older and changed the label is yellow with brown lines.

Size
Wingspan to 30 mm. The caterpillar reaches a length of 25 mm.

Habitat
This butterfly is found along forest edges, on calcareous, acidic and moist grass surface to a height of 1500 meters.

Foodplants
Various grasses including: Molinea caerulea (purple moor grass), Brachypodium pinnatum (Tor-grass) and Brachypodium sylvaticum (False Brome).

Flight season
May and June

Distribution
Entire northern hemisphere, Europe, Asia, North America and Japan. In some areas rare, like the Netherlands and Great Britain.