A small butterfly common in Africa, the Middle East, and western Asia in warm regions. In Israel it is common in the Mediterranean region, the Jordan Valley, and the Arava, mainly near bodies of water and settlements, in spring and summer (from May to September). Its wingspan is about 35 mm and it is the largest skipper in Israel. It is black-gray speckled with white. It has several generations a year.
The female lays her eggs on millet and other cereal species. The egg is white, becoming marked with red spots as hatching approaches; its shape is hemispherical.
From the egg hatches a greenish larva with a very large black head. As it grows, its color turns green and it has two white longitudinal stripes in the middle of the back. Its front part is folded. It hides inside a folded leaf that it creates. When it reaches a size of about 35 mm, it pupates inside the leaf.
The pupa is green and its head is slightly pointed, its length is about 30 mm. Its period lasts about three weeks.