Common Sootywing
Pholisora catullus (Fabricius, 1793)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Pyrginae
Identification: Upperside is glossy black with small white spots on outer third of forewing. Female has more white spots on the forewing than the male, and a submarginal row of spots on the hindwing. Underside of forewing repeats the upperside; hindwing is solid black.
Wing Span: 1 - 1 5/16 inches (2.5 - 3.3 cm).
Life History: Adults bask with the wings spread open. To find receptive females, males patrol near the ground in sunny places; mating takes place in the morning and afternoon. Near midday, females lay eggs singly on the tops of host plant leaves. Caterpillars live and feed within shelters of folded leaves. Caterpillars of the second brood overwinter in their silk-lined leaf shelters and pupate within them in the spring.
Flight: Two broods; from May-August in the north, March-November in Texas.
Caterpillar Hosts: Lambsquarters (Chenopodium album), amaranths (Amaranthus), and cockscomb (Celosia).
Adult Food: Nectar from many flowers including dogbane, marjoram, oxalis, white clover, common milkweed, peppermint, cucumber, and melon.
Habitat: Open or disturbed areas such as landfills, vacant lots, gardens, roadsides, fields, and pastures.
Range: Central United States south to central Mexico. Strays and colonizes to southern British Columbia, northern Michigan, southern Quebec, and southern Maine. Does not occur in peninsular Florida.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 2887 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 17, 2025
Submitted by: klamke
Region: Pennington County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Nov 03, 2025
Observation date: Aug 19, 2025
Submitted by: klamke
Region: Pennington County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Sep 29, 2025
Observation date: Aug 27, 2025
Submitted by: Carodescobar
Region: Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 28, 2025
Observation date: Aug 09, 2025
Submitted by: Lutherjj
Region: Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Aug 25, 2025
Observation date: Aug 14, 2025
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: Porter County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 14, 2025
Observation date: Jul 27, 2025
Submitted by: LittleWoodSatyr
Region: Defiance County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 13, 2025
Observation date: Jul 27, 2025
Submitted by: LittleWoodSatyr
Region: Defiance County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 13, 2025
Observation date: Jul 28, 2025
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 03, 2025
Observation date: Jul 27, 2025
Submitted by: JimPurvis
Region: Tipton County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 02, 2025
Observation date: Jul 27, 2025
Submitted by: L.Hale
Region: Texas, Lubbock County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 28, 2025
Observation date: Jul 14, 2025
Submitted by: klamke
Region: Pennington County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jul 27, 2025
Observation date: Jun 17, 2025
Submitted by: Blablancwillis
Region: Riley County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jul 04, 2025
Observation date: Jun 01, 1986
Submitted by: papilio1
Region: Washoe County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 16, 2025
Observation date: Dec 09, 2024
Submitted by: dvollmar
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Dec 11, 2024
Observation date: Jul 31, 2023
Submitted by: jmacmetro
Region: Bergen County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 14, 2024
Observation date: Oct 24, 2024
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Nov 03, 2024
Observation date: Sep 28, 2024
Submitted by: dvollmar
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 30, 2024
Observation date: Aug 11, 2024
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Socorro County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 01, 2024
Observation date: Aug 24, 2024
Submitted by: drmarc60223
Region: La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 26, 2024
Observation date: Aug 22, 2024
Submitted by: Bob Jacobson
Region: Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 25, 2024
Observation date: Aug 10, 2024
Submitted by: jwileyrains
Region: Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 12, 2024
Observation date: Jun 02, 2024
Submitted by: John Gibbons
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Jun 30, 2024
Observation date: Jun 05, 2024
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Union County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 06, 2024
Observation date: May 03, 2024
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: Roosevelt County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 04, 2024
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