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 145 - 168 of 2894 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 20, 2020
Submitted by: J_Martineau
Region: Sheridan County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Dec 17, 2020
Observation date: Jul 18, 2016
Submitted by: KristyBaker
Region: Jasper County, Iowa, United States
Verified by: Eric Wood
Verified date: Dec 10, 2020
Observation date: Jul 08, 2016
Submitted by: Alicia Jackson
Region: Scotland County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Dec 09, 2020
Observation date: Apr 19, 2017
Submitted by: MonarchLover.org
Region: Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Dec 09, 2020
Observation date: May 06, 2019
Submitted by: LinCepek
Region: Surry County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Dec 06, 2020
Observation date: Aug 08, 2019
Submitted by: Eric Wood
Region: Cherry County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Dec 03, 2020
Observation date: Aug 07, 2016
Submitted by: Indy Entomologist
Region: Boone County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 02, 2020
Observation date: Jul 22, 2020
Submitted by: s_brown55
Region: Pendleton County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Dec 02, 2020
Observation date: Aug 07, 2020
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Ingham County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Nov 05, 2020
Observation date: Aug 20, 2020
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Ingham County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Nov 05, 2020
Observation date: Sep 20, 2020
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Morton County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: azukoff
Verified date: Oct 08, 2020
Observation date: Sep 20, 2019
Submitted by: Will Anderson
Region: Albany County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Sep 08, 2020
Observation date: Sep 03, 2020
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Sep 04, 2020
Observation date: Aug 16, 2020
Submitted by: billd
Region: Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 03, 2020
Observation date: Aug 19, 2020
Submitted by: SusanCrick
Region: Bent County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: azukoff
Verified date: Sep 02, 2020
Observation date: Aug 08, 2020
Submitted by: plantlady100
Region: Allen County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 01, 2020
Observation date: Aug 31, 2020
Submitted by: TLE613
Region: Woodford County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 31, 2020
Observation date: Aug 09, 2020
Submitted by: Smitty54
Region: McLean County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 31, 2020
Observation date: Aug 24, 2020
Submitted by: Gcleopardgirl
Region: Kosciusko County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: Howell_Curtis
Verified date: Aug 24, 2020
Observation date: Aug 21, 2020
Submitted by: beastbreath
Region: Ingham County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 22, 2020
Observation date: Aug 20, 2020
Submitted by: kzmmrmn
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 20, 2020
Observation date: Aug 20, 2020
Submitted by: kzmmrmn
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 20, 2020
Observation date: Aug 07, 2002
Submitted by: Birder13
Region: Genesee County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 15, 2020
Observation date: Aug 12, 2020
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Jackson County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 14, 2020
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