Common Sootywing
Pholisora catullus
Summary
This small, glossy black butterfly with white spots was once called the ‘roadside rambler’, frequently found in disturbed locations such as roadsides, due to its penchant for ‘weedy’ host plants such as pigweed and lamb’s quarters. Adult sootywings nectar at a variety of plants such as milkweeds, ironweeds, verbenas and clovers. The pale green larvae are seldom seen, feeding at night and constructing shelters of rolled leaves and silk, where they overwinter, pupating in the spring.
More Details
FAMILY
Hesperiidae (Skippers)
IDENTIFICATION
Average Wingspan: 1-1.25 inches. Wing margins smooth, not scalloped. Forewing with white dots. Hindwing unmarked.
HABITAT
Weedy fields, vacant lots, disturbed areas, streamsides and roadsides.
LIFE CYCLE
Three broods. Turban shaped eggs with intricate ridges that form a daisy-like shape when viewed from above. Laid singly on the host leaf's upper surface. Caterpillars construct leaf shelters and primarily eat at night. Pupation occurs in a silk-lined leaf shelter on the plant. Caterpillars of the year's final brood overwinter in their shelter and pupate the following spring as fully grown larva.
HOST PLANTS
Lamb's quarters (Chenopodium album), white pigweed (Amaranthus albus) and feather cockscomb (Celosia argentea).
Ecosystem Connections
The caterpillars are herbivores that graze on vegetation, and adults serve a role in pollination. All life stages provide food for predators. Because butterflies are so sensitive to toxins and disturbances in the environment, they are good indicators of the overall health of ecosystems.