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 121 - 144 of 3542 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 14, 2022
Submitted by: Bob Jacobson
Region: Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 20, 2022
Observation date: May 14, 2022
Submitted by: KABerry
Region: Catawba County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jul 20, 2022
Observation date: Jun 22, 2021
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: Lake County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 16, 2022
Observation date: Jun 19, 2021
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: Harrison County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 16, 2022
Observation date: Jun 20, 2021
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: Harrison County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 16, 2022
Observation date: Jun 24, 2022
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 05, 2022
Observation date: May 17, 2022
Submitted by: Cyrus Li
Region: Craig County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jun 26, 2022
Observation date: Jun 04, 2021
Submitted by: Carol Thornton-...
Region: Orange County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 21, 2022
Observation date: Jun 18, 2022
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 20, 2022
Observation date: May 04, 2022
Submitted by: tom howe
Region: Monroe County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 14, 2022
Observation date: May 05, 2022
Submitted by: Jay Brasher
Region: Lincoln County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 14, 2022
Observation date: May 14, 2022
Submitted by: Smalltowngirl
Region: Hawkins County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 14, 2022
Observation date: Jun 12, 2022
Submitted by: John Terpstra
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 13, 2022
Observation date: Jun 04, 2022
Submitted by: Allen B
Region: Fentress County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Jun 10, 2022
Observation date: Jun 08, 2022
Submitted by: BeaLaporte
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 08, 2022
Observation date: Jun 05, 2022
Submitted by: wtjones
Region: Sumter County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 08, 2022
Observation date: Jun 24, 2021
Submitted by: jrtindall
Region: Mercer County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Jun 07, 2022
Observation date: Jun 03, 2022
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 06, 2022
Observation date: May 30, 2022
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Socorro County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 06, 2022
Observation date: May 31, 2022
Submitted by: hiker96
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jun 03, 2022
Observation date: Jun 02, 2022
Submitted by: Sometimes
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 02, 2022
Observation date: Jun 02, 2022
Submitted by: Ron Smith
Region: Pinellas County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 02, 2022
Observation date: Jun 04, 2021
Submitted by: Tommie Rogers
Region: Marion County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 01, 2022
Observation date: May 30, 2022
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 01, 2022
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