About Thorybes pylades (Scudder, 1870)
The wingspan of Thorybes pylades, also called the northern cloudywing, ranges between 32 and 47 mm. Both males and females have completely dark brown wings, with the exception of small triangular clear spots. This species is distributed from Nova Scotia westward across Canada, south into California, and throughout the rest of the United States. It inhabits open boreal woodlands, forest edges, and open fields. In its life cycle, adult northern cloudywings lay eggs singly beneath the leaves of their host plants. Caterpillars feed until they are ready to pupate, at which point they roll themselves inside the host plant’s leaves. Adults have one brood per year and fly between May and July in northern regions; in the southern part of their range, they have two broods and fly from March to September. Larval host plants belong to the Fabaceae family, and include the genera Desmodium, Lespedeza, Trifolium, and Hosackia.
