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 25 - 48 of 3511 verified sightings
Observation date: Apr 18, 2024
Submitted by: Lisahug
Region: Marin County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 18, 2024
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
Observation date: Apr 05, 2024
Submitted by: Pkleinsasser
Region: Flagler County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 08, 2024
Observation date: Apr 07, 2024
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Bowie County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Apr 08, 2024
Observation date: Mar 22, 2024
Submitted by: Chrustay
Region: Texas, Terrell County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Mar 31, 2024
Observation date: May 27, 2023
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Socorro County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Feb 02, 2024
Observation date: May 28, 2023
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Sierra County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Feb 02, 2024
Observation date: Jul 02, 2019
Submitted by: DRLem23ME
Region: Kennebec County, Maine, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jan 07, 2024
Observation date: May 13, 2023
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Socorro County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jan 04, 2024
Observation date: Jun 17, 2023
Submitted by: J_Martineau
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Dec 06, 2023
Observation date: Jun 17, 2023
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Taos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Dec 03, 2023
Observation date: May 17, 2023
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Hidalgo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Dec 02, 2023
Observation date: Jun 14, 2023
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: Lake County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Nov 09, 2023
Observation date: Jun 17, 2023
Submitted by: J_Martineau
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Nov 02, 2023
Observation date: Sep 12, 2023
Submitted by: camflies
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 23, 2023
Observation date: Mar 25, 2022
Submitted by: ridgeboy
Region: Polk County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 01, 2023
Observation date: Apr 29, 2022
Submitted by: Rick Sinnott
Region: Catoosa County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Aug 21, 2023
Observation date: Jun 21, 2023
Submitted by: commentator
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 18, 2023
Observation date: Jun 13, 2023
Submitted by: MJKrotzer
Region: Apache County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Jul 20, 2023
Observation date: Jul 03, 2023
Submitted by: cklindsey
Region: Harrison County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 16, 2023
Observation date: Jul 03, 2023
Submitted by: cklindsey
Region: Harrison County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 16, 2023
Observation date: Jul 03, 2023
Submitted by: cklindsey
Region: Harrison County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 16, 2023
Observation date: Jun 25, 2023
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 30, 2023
Observation date: Jun 16, 2023
Submitted by: twofried
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 22, 2023
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