Identifying features
Wingspan 27–29 mm. The wings are dark brown on the upper side, with dense grey hairs. The forewings are pointed and have distinct white spots, almost always nine in the outer, zigzag pattern. The hindwings lack white spots and have somewhat elongated, shadowy, lighter spots.
Similar species
It is very similar to large grizzled skipper (the subspecies scandinavicus in the southern Norwegian mountains). The species can be best distinguished by examining the underside of the hindwing: in large grizzled skipper, the three upper spots in the lighter central band extend equally far inward, whereas in Alpine Grizzled Skipper, the band is broken differently.
Distribution
Alpine Grizzled Skipper is found in Sweden sparsely, from the northernmost part of Jämtland, along the entire mountain range, to Pältsan in Torne Lappmark. Norway is found in the species from Nordland to northern Finnmark, in Finland only in the mountains nearest to Kilpisjärvi.
Biology
The butterflies fly skillfully and can likely travel long distances, but very little is known about their behaviour. In northern Norway, this species is one of the butterflies that fly earliest on the mountains.