Identifying features
Wingspan 23–26 mm. The male’s forewing is pearl yellow with black wing margins and a larger black spot outside the disc, as well as several small black spots. The hindwing’s upper side is black with 10–12 pearl yellow oval spots. The female is darker, lacking the pearl yellow spot on the hindwing, and with merging black spots on the forewing.
Similar species
The closest species is chequered skipper, which has dark brown wings with yellow spots in both sexes; however, the male of Northern chequered skipper is predominantly pearl-yellow on the forewing.
Distribution
Northern chequered skipper has significantly expanded its range over the last hundred years. It was rare in the 1950s, but is now locally quite common, particularly in central Sweden. The southern limit is now located in southwest Värmland, northern Västergötland, and northern Östergötland; it extends as far north as Norrbotten.
Biology
The species is found primarily in small clearings in healthy to moderately moist, dense coniferous mixed forests with a somewhat richer ground layer of herbs, often where grey birch dominates, in areas with shallow, moving ground water, or along smaller streams. On Gotland, it also occurs in a lush, moist pine forest with abundant herbs.