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 1 - 24 of 3533 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 15, 2025
Submitted by: commentator
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 18, 2025
Observation date: Jun 21, 2025
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Lincoln County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 18, 2025
Observation date: Jul 11, 2025
Submitted by: Cheri Pierce
Region: Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jul 12, 2025
Observation date: Jul 15, 2023
Submitted by: beverlynantz
Region: Harlan County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jul 10, 2025
Observation date: Jul 07, 2025
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Berkeley County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jul 08, 2025
Observation date: Jun 24, 2019
Submitted by: John Heneghan
Region: Garfield County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Jul 06, 2025
Observation date: Jun 17, 2025
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Dunn County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 27, 2025
Observation date: Jun 25, 2025
Submitted by: John Terpstra
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 27, 2025
Observation date: Jun 18, 2025
Submitted by: topper72
Region: Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 22, 2025
Observation date: Jun 20, 2025
Submitted by: p_stritch
Region: Berkeley County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jun 21, 2025
Observation date: Jun 13, 2025
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 17, 2025
Observation date: Jun 14, 2025
Submitted by: Dogoszhi
Region: Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 17, 2025
Observation date: Jun 13, 2025
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 14, 2025
Observation date: Jun 09, 2025
Submitted by: John Terpstra
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 11, 2025
Observation date: Jun 07, 2025
Submitted by: drmarc60223
Region: Polk County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 10, 2025
Observation date: Jun 08, 2025
Submitted by: Sometimes
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 08, 2025
Observation date: May 18, 2025
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Plumas County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 03, 2025
Observation date: May 31, 2025
Submitted by: chneal
Region: Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 01, 2025
Observation date: Apr 21, 2025
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 08, 2025
Observation date: Apr 15, 2025
Submitted by: hockeybruce7
Region: Orange County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 27, 2025
Observation date: Jun 02, 2012
Submitted by: papilio1
Region: Washoe County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 11, 2025
Observation date: Mar 30, 2025
Submitted by: DowntoDanny
Region: Texas, Kendall County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Apr 01, 2025
Observation date: May 30, 2024
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Taos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 09, 2025
Observation date: Jul 07, 2024
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: La Plata County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Nov 17, 2024
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