Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Mexican Cloudywing
Thorybes mexicana (Herrich-Schäffer, 1869)


Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Pyrginae
Identification: Upperside is brown; forewing with large, dark-edged clear spots. Male has no costal fold. Underside is mottled brown and black with grayish outer margins; hindwing with brown striations.
Wing Span: 1 1/8 - 1 3/8 inches (2.9 - 3.5 cm).
Life History: To wait for females, males perch on or near the ground on hilltops. Females lay eggs singly under host plant leaves.
Flight: One flight from June-August.
Caterpillar Hosts: Clover (Trifolium), wild pea (Lathyrus), and vetch (Vicia).
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Alpine and subalpine meadows, slopes, and clearings.
Range: High elevation mountains of the western United States south into Mexico.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G4 - Apparently secure globally, though it might be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Comments: NULL
Alternate Scientific Names:
Thorybes mexicanus