Mexican Cloudywing (Thorybes mexicana [Herrich-Schäffer])
Wing span: 1 1/8 - 1 3/8 inches (2.9 - 3.5 cm).
Identification: Upperside is brown; forewing with large, dark-edged clear spots. Male has no costal fold. Underside is mottled brown and black with grayish outer margins; hindwing with brown striations.
Life history: To wait for females, males perch on or near the ground on hilltops. Females lay eggs singly under host plant leaves.
Flight: One flight from June-August.
Caterpillar hosts: Clover (Trifolium), wild pea (Lathyrus), and vetch (Vicia).
Adult food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Alpine and subalpine meadows, slopes, and clearings.
Range: High elevation mountains of the western United States south into Mexico.
