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 49 - 72 of 3509 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 13, 2023
Submitted by: Bob Jacobson
Region: Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 15, 2023
Observation date: Jun 13, 2023
Submitted by: Bob Jacobson
Region: Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 15, 2023
Observation date: Jun 14, 2023
Submitted by: John Terpstra
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 14, 2023
Observation date: Jun 13, 2023
Submitted by: Sometimes
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 13, 2023
Observation date: Jun 10, 2023
Submitted by: Ohio97
Region: Montgomery County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: Ohio97
Verified date: Jun 11, 2023
Observation date: Jun 10, 2023
Submitted by: Ohio97
Region: Montgomery County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: Ohio97
Verified date: Jun 11, 2023
Observation date: Jun 08, 2023
Submitted by: Dobber31
Region: Sonoma County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 10, 2023
Observation date: Jun 07, 2023
Submitted by: Bob Jacobson
Region: Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 07, 2023
Observation date: Jun 03, 2023
Submitted by: Tdloyd
Region: Sumner County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 07, 2023
Observation date: Jun 03, 2023
Submitted by: cklindsey
Region: Wallowa County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 07, 2023
Observation date: Jun 02, 2023
Submitted by: hiker96
Region: Klickitat County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jun 07, 2023
Observation date: Jun 02, 2023
Submitted by: Sometimes
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 03, 2023
Observation date: May 31, 2023
Submitted by: Pkleinsasser
Region: St. Johns County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 01, 2023
Observation date: May 28, 2023
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 31, 2023
Observation date: May 26, 2023
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 28, 2023
Observation date: May 23, 2023
Submitted by: Marta Reece
Region: Catron County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 28, 2023
Observation date: May 25, 2023
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 28, 2023
Observation date: May 19, 2023
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: May 20, 2023
Observation date: May 19, 2023
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 19, 2023
Observation date: May 01, 2023
Submitted by: cjgoin
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 10, 2023
Observation date: Apr 22, 2023
Submitted by: Chrustay
Region: Eddy County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 03, 2023
Observation date: Mar 29, 2023
Submitted by: Pkleinsasser
Region: Putnam County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 31, 2023
Observation date: Mar 16, 2023
Submitted by: dennygranstrand
Region: Texas, Williamson County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Mar 23, 2023
Observation date: Mar 12, 2023
Submitted by: John Gibbons
Region: Marion County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 18, 2023
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