Northern Cloudywing
Thorybes pylades (Scudder, 1870)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Pyrginae
Identification: Upperside is dark brown; clear spots on forewing are small, triangular, and not aligned. Male forewing has a costal fold enclosing scent scales. Underside is brown with gray overscaling; hindwing has 2 dark bands.
Wing Span: 1 1/4 - 1 7/8 inches (3.2 - 4.7 cm).
Life History: Males perch on or near the ground in forest openings to wait for females. Eggs are laid singly under leaves of the host plants. Caterpillars feed on leaves and live in shelters of rolled or tied leaves. Fully-grown caterpillars hibernate.
Flight: One brood from May-July in the north, earlier in the south. Two broods from March-September in Texas.
Caterpillar Hosts: Various plants in the pea family (Fabaceae) including beggar's ticks (Desmodium), bush clover (Lespedeza), clover (Trifolium), lotus (Hosackia), and others.
Adult Food: Usually nectar from blue, purple, pink, or white flowers including dogbane, selfheal, crown vetch, Japanese honeysuckle, thistles, common milkweed, Deptford pink, hoary vervain, and others.
Habitat: Open or scrubby boreal woodland and forest edges.
Range: Nova Scotia west across southern Canada to British Columbia, south through California and the Rocky Mountain states to Mexico, Texas, the Gulf states, and 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.
Comments: NULL
Taxonomy Notes: In southwest Texas and northeast Mexico, a tan to white-fringed form, subspecies albosuffusa, may be found, looking superficially similar to Drusius and Desert Cloudywings.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 49 - 72 of 3489 verified sightings
Observation date: Apr 22, 2023
Submitted by: Chrustay
Region: Eddy County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 03, 2023
Observation date: Mar 29, 2023
Submitted by: Pkleinsasser
Region: Putnam County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 31, 2023
Observation date: Mar 16, 2023
Submitted by: dennygranstrand
Region: Texas, Williamson County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Mar 23, 2023
Observation date: Mar 12, 2023
Submitted by: John Gibbons
Region: Marion County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 18, 2023
Observation date: May 23, 2022
Submitted by: hockeybruce7
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Feb 04, 2023
Observation date: Jul 19, 2022
Submitted by: J_Martineau
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Dec 13, 2022
Observation date: Jul 07, 2022
Submitted by: WYbutterflyer1
Region: Polk County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 15, 2022
Observation date: Mar 29, 2020
Submitted by: cosmic_cat
Region: Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 12, 2022
Observation date: May 12, 2021
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Texas, Kimble County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 08, 2022
Observation date: Sep 09, 2022
Submitted by: George Sims
Region: Collin County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 09, 2022
Observation date: Jun 08, 2022
Submitted by: BMcNaught
Region: Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 06, 2022
Observation date: Apr 01, 2019
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Jeff Davis County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 01, 2022
Observation date: Apr 03, 2019
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Brewster County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 01, 2022
Observation date: Aug 28, 2021
Submitted by: justkim1106
Region: Texas, Uvalde County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 01, 2022
Observation date: Apr 24, 2022
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Burnet County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 22, 2022
Observation date: Jun 04, 2022
Submitted by: Allen B
Region: Fentress County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 22, 2022
Observation date: Jul 27, 2022
Submitted by: JudyLY
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 31, 2022
Observation date: Jul 21, 2022
Submitted by: topper72
Region: Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 31, 2022
Observation date: Jul 21, 2022
Submitted by: cjgoin
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 24, 2022
Observation date: Jun 14, 2022
Submitted by: Bob Jacobson
Region: Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 20, 2022
Observation date: May 14, 2022
Submitted by: KABerry
Region: Catawba County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jul 20, 2022
Observation date: Jun 22, 2021
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: Lake County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 16, 2022
Observation date: Jun 19, 2021
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: Harrison County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 16, 2022
Observation date: Jun 20, 2021
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: Harrison County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 16, 2022
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