Confusing Cloudywing (Thorybes confusis Bell)
Wing span: 1 1/2 - 1 7/8 inches (3.8 - 4.8 cm).
Identification: Upperside is dark brown; forewing spots are transparent and elongated. Male lacks a costal fold. Underside of hindwing is dark brown with well-defined markings.
Life history: Not reported.
Flight: Two broods from April-August.
Caterpillar hosts: Possibly bush clover (Lespedeza) in the pea family (Fabaceae).
Adult food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Near swamps and marshes; woods in river valleys.
Range: Southeastern Pennsylvania west to Missouri, south along the Atlantic Coastal plain to central Florida, the Gulf Coast, and Texas. Strays to southeastern Kansas, southern Illinois, and New Jersey.
Conservation: Not usually required.
The Nature Conservancy Global Rank: G4 - Apparently secure globally, though it might be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management needs: None reported.
References:
Opler, P. A. and G. O. Krizek. 1984. Butterflies east of the Great Plains. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. 294 pages, 54 color plates. Scott, J. A. 1986. The butterflies of North America. Stanford University Press, Stanford, Calif. 583 pages, 64 color plates. Tilden, J. W. 1986. A field guide to western butterflies. Houghton-Mifflin Co., Boston, Mass. 370 pages, 23 color plates.
Author: Jane M. Struttmann
State and Regional References:
Iftner, D.C., Shuey, J.A. and Calhoun, J.V. 1992. Butterflies and Skippers of Ohio. Bulletin of the Ohio Biological Survey 9:1-212. Layberry, R.A., Hall, P.W. & Lafontaine, D.J., 1998. The Butterflies of Canada. University of Toronto Press, Toronto, ON. 280 pp. Opler, P.A. 1998. A field guide to eastern butterflies, revised format. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston.