National Moth Week is July 18-26!
Moths are amazing creatures. Take photographs and share your moth sightings with us to document the moths where you live.
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 265 - 288 of 2899 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 26, 2017
Submitted by: irisbitterlich
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Norbert Kondla
Verified date: Sep 22, 2017
Observation date: Jul 28, 2017
Submitted by: irisbitterlich
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Norbert Kondla
Verified date: Sep 22, 2017
Observation date: Jul 28, 2017
Submitted by: irisbitterlich
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Norbert Kondla
Verified date: Sep 22, 2017
Observation date: Aug 20, 2017
Submitted by: Paul Prappas
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Sep 18, 2017
Observation date: Sep 04, 2017
Submitted by: Melinda Fawver
Region: Benton County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: Sep 11, 2017
Observation date: Aug 29, 2017
Submitted by: AJ Trently
Region: Fayette County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: Sep 01, 2017
Observation date: Aug 26, 2017
Submitted by: Tommie Rogers
Region: Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: Aug 31, 2017
Observation date: Aug 16, 2017
Submitted by: satchmo0802
Region: Kings County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 29, 2017
Observation date: Aug 20, 2017
Submitted by: wallap74
Region: Washington Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Aug 24, 2017
Observation date: Aug 20, 2017
Submitted by: brainerd
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 24, 2017
Observation date: Jul 14, 2017
Submitted by: Ritaclements
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Aug 17, 2017
Observation date: Aug 13, 2017
Submitted by: brainerd
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 14, 2017
Observation date: Aug 07, 2017
Submitted by: Vince Moxon
Region: Will County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 12, 2017
Observation date: Aug 07, 2017
Submitted by: Indy Entomologist
Region: Boone County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: Howell_Curtis
Verified date: Aug 10, 2017
Observation date: Aug 05, 2017
Submitted by: the meowking
Region: Kings County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 06, 2017
Observation date: Aug 05, 2017
Submitted by: Stylurus
Region: Ingham County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 05, 2017
Observation date: Aug 01, 2017
Submitted by: BayouButterfly
Region: Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Aug 02, 2017
Observation date: Jul 31, 2017
Submitted by: Cyrus Li
Region: Montgomery County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 01, 2017
Observation date: Aug 23, 2015
Submitted by: yardbird
Region: Camden County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Will Kerling
Verified date: Jul 28, 2017
Observation date: Jul 10, 2016
Submitted by: yardbird
Region: Salem County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Will Kerling
Verified date: Jul 28, 2017
Observation date: Jun 11, 2017
Submitted by: A_baldini
Region: Larimer County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Jul 27, 2017
Observation date: Jul 23, 2017
Submitted by: greenecycle
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Jul 24, 2017
Observation date: Jul 22, 2017
Submitted by: dolores.gladtid...
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Jul 23, 2017
Observation date: Jul 16, 2017
Submitted by: Sheryl Johnson
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 19, 2017
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