Northern Cloudywing (Thorybes pylades)

Northern Cloudywing is a dark brown spreadwing skipper common throughout North Carolina.

Madison Co., NC 4/9/2012.

Granville Co., NC 5/20/2012.

Cloudywings can be tough to tell apart — here's what I look for:

The white lines on the forewings of Northern are generally thinner than those of the equally common Southern Cloudywing, but this isn't always reliable. Two other marks are diagnostic: the last spot of the line of 3-4 white spots at the front of the forewing (the rightmost line in the photo) is disjunct towards the apex; in Southern Cloudywing these are all in a line. And look for the cluster of 3 white spots in the center of the forewing — these are separate in Northern, touching in Southern.

Granville Co., NC 5/16/09.

Nectaring on Vasevine (Clematis viorna).

Granville Co., NC 5/25/09.

	Northern Cloudywing is even more similar to less common Confused Cloudywing, but the shape of the inside-most of the trio of white marks near the center of the forewing is a spot, while this spot in Confused Cloudywing is shaped like an elongate bar. This mark works very well to separate the two except for very worn individuals, where the pattern may be obscured. On worn individuals, look for the color of the face for confirmation. A worn individual. Granville Co., NC 6/4/05.
	Note the dark face, which is unlike the contrasting pale face of both Southern Cloudywing and Confused Cloudywing. Orange Co., NC 6/6/07.
	Granville Co., NC 4/27/08.
	Granville Co., NC 4/27/08.

Granville Co., NC 4/28/02.

There isn't much to see on the underwing of a Northern Cloudywing.

Granville Co., NC 4/28/02.