Thorybes bathyllus
Encyclopedia
The Southern Cloudywing (sometimes spelled Southern Cloudy Wing), Thorybes bathyllus, is a North America
n butterfly
in the family Hesperiidae. There are two main reasons why Southern Cloudywings can be difficult to identify: one is individual variation and the other is confusing seasonal forms. In the south, where it has two brood
s per year, there are two seasonal forms. Spring forms are usually lightly marked and resemble Confused Cloudywings (Thorybes confusis). Summer forms tend to be more boldly marked by comparison, making identification easier. However, summer Confused Cloudywings are also strongly patterned which makes identifying them more difficult. There rapid flight is very erratic, though it is closer to the ground then in some of its close relatives.
On average, the Southern Cloudywing is usually slightly smaller than the North Cloudywing (Thorybes pylades
) and about the same size as the Confused Cloudywing. The palps are whitish with a white ring around the eye. There is a white spot on the bend of the antennal club
. Males lack a fore wing costal fold. The upper side of the wings is dark brown with the fore wing submarginal area having an aligned row of glassy white spots. Near the fore wing costa is a conspicuous spot in the shape of an hourglass (in spring forms this spot is lacking). In the subapical area there are three to four spots that are either all connected as if they were one mark (summer form) or with the bottom spot slightly offset (spring form). The underside of the wings is mottled dark brown with two darker brown bands. In some cases the hind wing may have a variable amount of frosting near the margin. Its wingspan
measures 32–38 mm (1.3–1.5 in).
The Northern Cloudywing has brown palps, the white ring around the eye is not continuous, and males have a fore wing costal fold.
The Confused Cloudywing has grayish-white palps, lacks the white spot on the bend of the antennal club, and on the upper side of the fore wing the subapical spots are more loosely connected with the bottom spot quite offset.
singly on the underside of host plant leaves. The larva
lives in a leaf shelter by rolling or tying leaves together with silk
. The larva is brown with a greenish hue. It has a dark middorsal stripe and has a pale lateral line. The head and collar are both black. The pupa
is either greenish with brown markings or a dull brown color. It overwinter
s as a mature larva. The Southern Cloudywing has 1 brood per year in the north and 2-3 broods in the south.
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n butterfly
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
in the family Hesperiidae. There are two main reasons why Southern Cloudywings can be difficult to identify: one is individual variation and the other is confusing seasonal forms. In the south, where it has two brood
Offspring
In biology, offspring is the product of reproduction, of a new organism produced by one or more parents.Collective offspring may be known as a brood or progeny in a more general way...
s per year, there are two seasonal forms. Spring forms are usually lightly marked and resemble Confused Cloudywings (Thorybes confusis). Summer forms tend to be more boldly marked by comparison, making identification easier. However, summer Confused Cloudywings are also strongly patterned which makes identifying them more difficult. There rapid flight is very erratic, though it is closer to the ground then in some of its close relatives.
Description
Thorybes pylades
The Northern Cloudywing is a species of the Hesperiidae family.-Description:The wingspan of the T. pylades is between 32 and 47 mm long. Both male and female have completely dark brown wings except for the small triangular clear spots....
) and about the same size as the Confused Cloudywing. The palps are whitish with a white ring around the eye. There is a white spot on the bend of the antennal club
Antenna (biology)
Antennae in biology have historically been paired appendages used for sensing in arthropods. More recently, the term has also been applied to cilium structures present in most cell types of eukaryotes....
. Males lack a fore wing costal fold. The upper side of the wings is dark brown with the fore wing submarginal area having an aligned row of glassy white spots. Near the fore wing costa is a conspicuous spot in the shape of an hourglass (in spring forms this spot is lacking). In the subapical area there are three to four spots that are either all connected as if they were one mark (summer form) or with the bottom spot slightly offset (spring form). The underside of the wings is mottled dark brown with two darker brown bands. In some cases the hind wing may have a variable amount of frosting near the margin. Its wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
measures 32–38 mm (1.3–1.5 in).
Similar species
Similar species in the Southern Cloudywings range include the Northern Cloudywing and the Confused Cloudywing.The Northern Cloudywing has brown palps, the white ring around the eye is not continuous, and males have a fore wing costal fold.
The Confused Cloudywing has grayish-white palps, lacks the white spot on the bend of the antennal club, and on the upper side of the fore wing the subapical spots are more loosely connected with the bottom spot quite offset.
Habitat
This butterfly may be found in a variety of open habitats such as along streams, meadows, savannas, scrubby fields, and woodlands.Flight
This species is on the wing from June to mid-July in the north and March to November in the south.Life cycle
Males are highly territorial and are known to use the same perch throughout their adult lifespan. Females lay their pale green eggsEgg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
singly on the underside of host plant leaves. The larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
lives in a leaf shelter by rolling or tying leaves together with silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
. The larva is brown with a greenish hue. It has a dark middorsal stripe and has a pale lateral line. The head and collar are both black. The pupa
Pupa
A pupa is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation. The pupal stage is found only in holometabolous insects, those that undergo a complete metamorphosis, going through four life stages; embryo, larva, pupa and imago...
is either greenish with brown markings or a dull brown color. It overwinter
Overwinter
To overwinter is to pass through or wait out the winter season, or to pass through that period of the year when “winter” conditions make normal activity or even survival difficult or near impossible...
s as a mature larva. The Southern Cloudywing has 1 brood per year in the north and 2-3 broods in the south.
Host plants
Here is a list of host plants used by the Southern Cloudywing:- Potato Bean, Apios americanaApios americanaApios americana, sometimes called the potato bean, hopniss, Indian potato or groundnut is a perennial vine native to eastern North America, and bears edible beans and large edible tubers. It grows to 3–4 m long, with pinnate leaves 8–15 cm long with 5–7 leaflets...
- Ozark Milkvetch, Astragalus distortus var. engelmannii
- Butterfly Pea, Bradburya virginiana
- Spurred Butterfly Pea, Centrosema virginianum
- Hairy Small-leaved Tick-trefoil, Desmodium ciliare
- Panicled Tick-trefoil, Desmodium paniculatumDesmodium paniculatumDesmodium paniculatum, or Panicled Tick-Trefoil, is a flowering plant located in the United States....
- Round-leaved Tick-trefoil, Desmodium rotundifolium
- Roundhead Lespedeza, Lespedeza capitata
- Hairy Lespedeza, Lespedeza hirta
- Slender Lespedeza, Lespedeza virginica
- Twining Snoutbean, Rhynchosia tomentosa
- Amberique-bean, Strophostyles helveola
- Slick-seed Bean, Strophostyles leiosperma
- Florida Hoarypea, Tephrosia florida