Wing span: 3.4-4.0 cm.

Flight time: Essentially univoltine, with adults flying from early May to mid August. The bulk of individuals have been collected from the last few days of May through the first week of July.

Status: Common breeding resident.

Distinguishing features: Like T. bathyllus, this species is dark brown with white spots on the forewing above and has darker brown bands on the hindwing below. It differs by having narrow, oblong forewing white spots, darker wing fringes, and having hollow (rather than solid) dark-brown hindwing bands. Males possess a costal fold.

Distribution and habitat: This species is relatively frequent in the southern two-thirds of the state. It occurs in a variety of dry, open habitats, including prairies and old-fields.

Natural History: The larvae of the Northern Cloudy Wing have been reported to feed on a variety of legumes, including Clover (Trifolium sp.), Bush Clover (Lespedeza sp.), and Tick Trefoils (Desmodium sp.). As these plants are more common in Iowa than those used by T. bathyllus, it is not surprising that T. pylades is the more common of the two.