North American Butterflies and Moths List

The definitive website on wildbirds & nature




The Registry of Nature Habitats
U.S. Geological Survey


Butterflies of North America

Butterflies of California

Mohave Sootywing (Hesperopsis libya)
JPG -- species photo

Mohave Sootywing (Hesperopsis libya [Scudder])

Wing span: 7/8 - 1 1/4 inches (2.2 - 3.2 cm).

Identification: Fringes are white and not checkered. Upperside is dark brown with 2 rows of small white spots on the forewing; hindwing may have some white spots. Underside of hindwing is light to dark brown with a pale gray overlay and few to many white spots.

Life history: To find receptive females, males patrol around the host plants in the morning. Females lay eggs singly on leaves of the host plants. Caterpillars feed on leaves and live in nests of leaves tied together with silk.

Flight: One brood in North Dakota and Montana from July-August; two broods in Colorado from June-August; several broods in southern California from March-October.

Caterpillar hosts: Shadscale (Atriplex canescens) in the goosefoot family (Chenopodiaceae).

Adult food: Flower nectar.

Habitat: Desert washes and alkali flats with shadscale.

Range: Eastern Oregon east to Montana; south to southern California, Arizona, Baja California, and northwestern mainland Mexico.

Conservation: Not usually required.

The Nature Conservancy Global Rank: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.

Management needs: None reported.

References:


Scott, J. A. 1986. The butterflies of North America. Stanford University Press, 

     Stanford, Calif. 583 pages, 64 color plates.



Stanford, R. E. and P. A. Opler. 1993. Atlas of western USA butterflies including 

     adjacent parts of Canada and Mexico. Denver and Fort Collins, CO. 



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:


Brown, J.W., Real, H.G., and D.K. Faulkner. 1992. Butterflies of Baja 

     California. Lepidoptera Research Foundation, Beverly Hills, Calif.



Comstock, J.A. 1927. Butterflies of California. Privately published, Los 

     Angeles, Calif. [Facsimile available from 	Entomological Reprint 

     Specialists, Los Angeles, Calif.]



Dameron, W. 1997. Searching for butterflies in southern California.

     Flutterby Press, Los Angeles, Calif.



Emmel, T.C. Editor. 1998. Systematics of western North American butterflies.

     Mariposa Press, Gainesville, Florida.



Emmel, T. C. and J. F. Emmel. 1973. The Butterflies of Southern California. 

     Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Science Series No. 26.



Garth, J.S. and J.W. Tilden. 1986. California Butterflies.  California Natural

     History Guide 51. University of California Press, Berkeley and Los 

     Angeles.

     

Langston, R.L. 1981. The Rhopalocera of Santa Cruz Island, California. Journal

     of Research on the Lepidoptera 18: 24-35.     



Miller, Scott E. 1985. Butterflies of the Califorenia Channel Islands. Journal

     of the Research on the Lepidoptera 23: 282-296.     



Opler, Paul A. 1999. Peterson Field Guide to Western Butterflies, revised 

     edition. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Mass.



Orsak, L.J. 1977. The Butterflies of Orange County, California. Museum of 

     Systematic Biology, University of california, Irvine.



Stanford, R.E. and P.A. Opler. 1993. Atlas of Western USA Butterflies. 

     Privately published, Denver, Colo.



Steiner, J. 1990. Bay Area Butterflies: The Distribution and Natural History 

     of San Francisco Region Rhopalocera. Hayward, Calif.: Hayward State 

     University, Masters Thesis.



Tilden, J.W. and A.C. Smith. 1986. A Field Guide to Western Butterflies. 

     Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Mass.



Tilden, J.W. 1965. Butterflies of the San Francisco Bay Region. California 

     Natural History Guide 12. University of California Press, Berkeley and 

     Los Angeles.

Mohave Sootywing (Hesperopsis libya)
distribution map
map legend

Disclaimer
Return to species list
Return to Butterflies of North America main page