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 3509 verified sightings
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Observation date: May 03, 2024
Submitted by: dvollmar
Region: Cherokee County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 13, 2024
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Observation date: Jul 30, 2024
Submitted by: AJ Trently
Region: Fayette County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 02, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc04103_1.jpg?itok=gdACZfbB)
Observation date: May 19, 2024
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Socorro County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 30, 2024
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Observation date: May 30, 2024
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Jul 27, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc_0070_20.jpg?itok=neKOkcpl)
Observation date: Jul 01, 2024
Submitted by: hockeybruce7
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 03, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/northern_cloudywing_thorybes_pylades_jtf_9506.jpg?itok=Pk0I3HxL)
Observation date: Jun 24, 2024
Submitted by: John Terpstra
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 25, 2024
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Observation date: May 19, 2024
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Socorro County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 18, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/northern_cloundywing_-_possible_sub_species_albosuffusa.jpg?itok=A9KPIUbM)
Observation date: Jun 06, 2024
Submitted by: Sherry Collins
Region: Bandera County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 16, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/northern_cloudywing_thorybes_pylades_jtf_8813.jpg?itok=GX4Drq70)
Observation date: Jun 13, 2024
Submitted by: John Terpstra
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 15, 2024
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Observation date: Jun 14, 2024
Submitted by: Lisahug
Region: Sonoma County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 15, 2024
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Observation date: Jun 06, 2024
Submitted by: Ty-Sharrow
Region: Craighead County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jun 10, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dfagan_northern_cloudywing_thorybes_pylades_2_jefferson_co_060724.jpg?itok=QDNAIcO4)
Observation date: Jun 06, 2024
Submitted by: dfagan746
Region: Jefferson County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 08, 2024
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Observation date: Jun 01, 2024
Submitted by: Ozark_Bill
Region: Phelps County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jun 06, 2024
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Observation date: May 25, 2024
Submitted by: Ozark_Bill
Region: Franklin County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jun 06, 2024
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Observation date: May 25, 2024
Submitted by: Ozark_Bill
Region: Phelps County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jun 06, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/northern_cloudywing_bear_canyon_5-30-24.jpg?itok=2pGc8Xa6)
Observation date: May 30, 2024
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 02, 2024
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Observation date: May 28, 2024
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 28, 2024
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Observation date: May 27, 2024
Submitted by: Sometimes
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: May 27, 2024
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Observation date: May 22, 2024
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 24, 2024
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Observation date: May 18, 2024
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 19, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/northern_cloudywing_thorybes_pylades_c_sisilver_bluff_inat_072013.jpg?itok=62Ug23ls)
Observation date: Jul 20, 2013
Submitted by: Ken Cheeks
Region: Aiken County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Apr 25, 2024
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Observation date: Apr 22, 2023
Submitted by: Ken Cheeks
Region: Greenwood County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Apr 19, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/northerncloudywing041824bigrock.jpg?itok=MkdL7_6J)
Observation date: Apr 18, 2024
Submitted by: Lisahug
Region: Marin County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 18, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/duskywing_thorybes_pylades_c_closeup_sylvan_rd_edgefield_county_inat_41024.jpg?itok=K7J8G0KN)
Observation date: Apr 10, 2024
Submitted by: Ken Cheeks
Region: Edgefield County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Apr 10, 2024
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