Common Sootywing

Common Sootywing

Pholisora catullus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Mexico City

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

10 Verified sightings at Mexico City
37 In all 3 parks From 2019 to 2026
July Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Common Sootywing

Pholisora catullus, the common sootywing or roadside rambler, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found from the central parts of the United States, south to central Mexico. Strays may colonize up to southern British Columbia, northern Michigan, southern Quebec and southern Maine. It is not found on peninsular Florida.

The wingspan is 25–33 mm. There are two generations with adults on wing from May to August in the northern part of its range and from March to November in Texas. The larvae feed on Chenopodium album, Amaranthus and Celosia species. Adults feed on flower nectar from various flowers, including dogbane, marjoram, oxalis, white clover, common milkweed, peppermint, cucumber and melon. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
2 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Sacramento 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Baltimore 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Philadelphia 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Torreón 🇲🇽 México
~10%
5 Monterrey 🇲🇽 México
<5%
6 New York City 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
7 San Antonio 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
8 Washington 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
9 Chicago 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
10 Denver 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Common Sootywing in Mexico City?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Common Sootywing sighting in Mexico City on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 388th most-seen of the 557 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Common Sootywing in Mexico City?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Common Sootywing in Mexico City on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Common Sootywing?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Sootywing sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Mexico City the best place to see a Common Sootywing?

11th of 11

Of the 11 cities where we can rate Common Sootywing sightings, Mexico City ranks 11th at under 5%. The best odds are in Sacramento (United States, about 10%), Baltimore (United States, about 10%) and Philadelphia (United States, about 10%).

Where does the Common Sootywing sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Common Sootywing is recorded against all the insects logged in Mexico City (10 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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