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 169 - 192 of 2894 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 10, 2020
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Ingham County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 13, 2020
Observation date: Jul 27, 2020
Submitted by: Bowbender
Region: Ashland County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 27, 2020
Observation date: Jul 23, 2020
Submitted by: Cyrus Li
Region: Montgomery County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 24, 2020
Observation date: Jul 19, 2020
Submitted by: schaarschmidt
Region: Lucas County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 24, 2020
Observation date: Jun 06, 2020
Submitted by: Pheasantboy77
Region: Butte County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jul 17, 2020
Observation date: May 09, 2020
Submitted by: Team Kweeper
Region: Sacramento County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 16, 2020
Observation date: Jul 03, 2020
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Yavapai County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Jul 10, 2020
Observation date: May 15, 2020
Submitted by: James Lofton
Region: Roosevelt County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 28, 2020
Observation date: Jun 19, 2016
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jun 19, 2020
Observation date: May 14, 2020
Submitted by: Tim Shortell
Region: Mesa County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Jun 14, 2020
Observation date: Jun 09, 2020
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jun 09, 2020
Observation date: Jun 06, 2020
Submitted by: dsperanza
Region: Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jun 08, 2020
Observation date: Aug 06, 2019
Submitted by: JulieLuetzelschwab
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 23, 2020
Observation date: Apr 26, 2020
Submitted by: CA Ivy
Region: Sequoyah County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: May 06, 2020
Observation date: May 02, 2020
Submitted by: CA Ivy
Region: Adair County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: May 06, 2020
Observation date: Jun 16, 2012
Submitted by: C. West
Region: Shelby County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: Howell_Curtis
Verified date: Apr 01, 2020
Observation date: Aug 30, 2019
Submitted by: Joey Bom
Region: San Juan County, Utah, United States
Verified by: RaisingButterfl...
Verified date: Feb 02, 2020
Observation date: Aug 23, 2019
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Feb 01, 2020
Observation date: Aug 22, 2012
Submitted by: tirvine2020
Region: Mercer County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Dec 17, 2019
Observation date: Feb 06, 2019
Submitted by: Craig M Lipski
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 24, 2019
Observation date: Jun 03, 2019
Submitted by: CTenglish
Region: Bent County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Sep 23, 2019
Observation date: Jun 07, 2019
Submitted by: Christian.Nunes
Region: Las Animas County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Sep 21, 2019
Observation date: Sep 02, 2019
Submitted by: Team Kweeper
Region: Sacramento County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 04, 2019
Observation date: May 27, 2017
Submitted by: Craig M Lipski
Region: Livingston County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 28, 2019
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