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 145 - 168 of 3543 verified sightings
Observation date: May 30, 2022
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 01, 2022
Observation date: May 30, 2022
Submitted by: Sometimes
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: May 30, 2022
Observation date: May 27, 2022
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 30, 2022
Observation date: May 21, 2022
Submitted by: Chrustay
Region: Lincoln County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 26, 2022
Observation date: May 17, 2022
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 19, 2022
Observation date: May 15, 2022
Submitted by: Reneerob17
Region: Torrance County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 19, 2022
Observation date: May 15, 2022
Submitted by: Marta Reece
Region: Grant County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 17, 2022
Observation date: May 12, 2022
Submitted by: Marta Reece
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 15, 2022
Observation date: May 09, 2022
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 10, 2022
Observation date: May 08, 2022
Submitted by: Joshua C
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 09, 2022
Observation date: May 05, 2022
Submitted by: Marta Reece
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 08, 2022
Observation date: Apr 18, 2022
Submitted by: Ryan84
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Apr 25, 2022
Observation date: Aug 03, 2015
Submitted by: Cherylee Black
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Apr 01, 2022
Observation date: Jul 17, 2020
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: McIntosh County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Feb 13, 2022
Observation date: Jul 18, 2017
Submitted by: carlakish
Region: Gila County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Feb 11, 2022
Observation date: Jul 18, 2017
Submitted by: carlakish
Region: Gila County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Feb 10, 2022
Observation date: Jul 27, 2018
Submitted by: Gordon Berman
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Feb 06, 2022
Observation date: Jun 23, 2018
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jan 01, 2022
Observation date: Jun 19, 2017
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jan 01, 2022
Observation date: Jul 21, 2021
Submitted by: jamesvonloh
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Dec 12, 2021
Observation date: Apr 21, 2017
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Madison County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Nov 27, 2021
Observation date: Jul 21, 2021
Submitted by: Gordon Berman
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 12, 2021
Observation date: Oct 07, 2019
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 26, 2021
Observation date: May 23, 2019
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Socorro County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 22, 2021
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