Southern Cloudywing
(Thorybes bathyllus)
Click to enlargeRocky Run Oak Savanna SNA, Columbia Co., WI. June 18, 2005.
Click to enlargeRocky Run Oak Savanna SNA, Columbia Co., WI. June 18, 2005. Same individual as the above photo.
The Southern Cloudywing is essentially a more southern species, being found in sparingly in the southern half of the state. It has been found in Waushara County, where I live, but I have never seen it here in 20+ years. I saw my first and only one in 2005 and was able to take the bottom two photos. It looked similar to a Northern Cloudywing as it flew, but the larger white spots throughout the wing are easily seen and makes this an easy skipper to identify.
Identifying characteristics: A brownish skipper with white, aligned, subapical spots and large spots arranged transversely through the middle of the forewing, the second and third of which are joined in an hour-glass shaped spot. The antenna has white at the bend, and the face is white or a light gray.
Similar species: The Northern Cloudywing is similar, but has nonaligned, subapical spots, all spots are smaller in size than the Southern Cloudywing, it doesn’t have a light colored antenna at the bend, and its face is dark.
Habitat: Open fields, and woodland openings.
Flight: One brood, late May to early July.
Abundance: This species, like the Northern Cloudywing, is not usually found in large numbers, and one is more likely to see single individuals.
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Southern Cloudywing
Thorybes bathyllus