Thorybes pylades

A relative large skipper (wingspan 28 to 38mm) that is most similar to our duskywing skippers (Erynnis spp.), but the Northern Cloudywing has even, dark brown forewing uppersides, not mottled like the duskywings. The sharply curved-back antennal clubs will also distinguish this species.

Occurs throughout most of temperate North America, north to the Alberta / NWT border. Restricted to watercourses in the drier parts of the Great Plains (Opler 1999).

occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Clearings and meadows in pine and aspen woodlands, valley bottoms in the prairies.

Comments: A variety of brushy or wooded habitats with legumes, including some non-native ones. Not as limited to dry sites as T. BATHYLLUS but they often co-occur.

Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

The larval hostplant in Alberta is unrecorded. Elsewhere, this species feeds on various herbaceous legumes such as vetches and clovers (Hooper 1973, Opler 1999). Adults nectar at legume flowers such as vetch, alfalfa (Hooper 1973) and locoweed (McCabe & Post 1977). Adults sip moisture at damp earth (Bird et al. 1995).

Thorybes pylades Scudder: Hesperiidae, Lepidoptera
(observations are from Robertson, Reed, and Clinebell; this skipper is the Northern Cloudywing)

Asclepiadaceae: Asclepias purpurascens [plpr sn] (Rb), Asclepias sullivanti [plab sn] (Rb); Fabaceae: Trifolium pratense sn (Rb), Trifolium repens sn (Rb); Gentianaceae: Frasera caroliniensis sn np (Rb); Lamiaceae: Agastache foeniculum sn (Re), Blephilia ciliata sn (Rb), Monarda bradburiana sn (Rb), Monarda fistulosa sn (Cl); Polemoniaceae: Phlox pilosa sn (Rb, Re); Rosaceae: Porteranthus stipulatus sn (Rb), Rubus flagellaris sn (Rb)

Adults are most often encountered in mid to late June. One brood annually.

The eggs are pale green (Bird et al. 1995), and larvae are dark green with a brownish ventral line and paler lateral lines (Layberry et al. 1998). The mature larvae feed and overwinter in shelters made from the host plant leaves (Layberry et al. 1998). Males exhibit perching behaviour to await females, and will chase off other butterflies entering their territory (McCabe & Post 1977, Acorn 1993).

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.

There is 1 barcode sequence available from BOLD and GenBank.   Below is the sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.  See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen.  Other sequences that do not yet meet barcode criteria may also be available.

Download FASTA File

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 1
Specimens with Barcodes: 45
Species With Barcodes: 1

Not of conservation concern.

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure