Horace's Duskywing
Erynnis horatius (Scudder & Burgess, 1870)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Pyrginae
Identification: Fringes are brown. Upperside of male forewing is dark brown with little contrast and no white overscaling. Upperside of female forewing is light brown with a contrasting pattern and large transparent spots. Underside of hindwing is usually without 2 spots below the apex. Male has a costal fold containing yellow scent scales; female has a patch of scent scales on the 7th abdominal segment.
Wing Span: 1 7/16 - 1 15/16 inches (3.6 - 4.9 cm).
Life History: To seek females, males perch at the ends of twigs on hilltops or slopes about 1 foot above the ground. Mating has been observed around midday; females deposit eggs singly on new growth of the host. Caterpillars feed on young leaves and rest in leaf nests. Caterpillars of the last brood hibernate.
Flight: Two broods in the north from April-September, three broods in the Deep South and Texas from January-November.
Caterpillar Hosts: Both red and white oaks including willow oak (Quercus phellos), northern red oak (Q. velutina), scrub oak (Q. ilicifolia), water oak (Q. nigra), post oak (Q. stellata), and live oak (Q. virginiana).
Adult Food: Horace\'s Duskywing visits flower up to about 4.5 feet tall including dogbane, buttonbush, sneezeweed, goldenrod, peppermint, boneset, and winter cress.
Habitat: Open woodlands and edges, clearings, fencerows, wooded swamps, power-line right-of-ways, open fields, roadsides.
Range: Massachusetts west to eastern South Dakota; south through most of the eastern United States to Florida, the Gulf Coast, and South Texas; south in the west through southeastern Utah, Colorado, northeastern Arizona, and New Mexico.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 2865 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 28, 2020
Submitted by: janetslingerland
Region: Burlington County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 20, 2024
Observation date: Jul 14, 2021
Submitted by: jrtindall
Region: Mercer County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 20, 2024
Observation date: Jul 14, 2022
Submitted by: tom nolan
Region: Burlington County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 20, 2024
Observation date: Jul 22, 2023
Submitted by: jrtindall
Region: Mercer County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 19, 2024
Observation date: Jul 07, 2024
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: La Plata County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Nov 17, 2024
Observation date: Jul 01, 2024
Submitted by: jrtindall
Region: Mercer County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 16, 2024
Observation date: Aug 19, 2023
Submitted by: jrtindall
Region: Mercer County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 14, 2024
Observation date: Sep 09, 2024
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: White County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Oct 10, 2024
Observation date: Oct 02, 2024
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 08, 2024
Observation date: Sep 28, 2024
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 29, 2024
Observation date: Sep 08, 2024
Submitted by: fotosbydeb
Region: Hillsborough County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 09, 2024
Observation date: Aug 22, 2024
Submitted by: cp2023
Region: Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 24, 2024
Observation date: Aug 17, 2024
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Dare County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 20, 2024
Observation date: Aug 10, 2024
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 19, 2024
Observation date: Aug 14, 2024
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Lexington County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 14, 2024
Observation date: Jun 19, 2024
Submitted by: dvollmar
Region: Lucas County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 08, 2024
Observation date: Jul 26, 2024
Submitted by: twofried
Region: Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 02, 2024
Observation date: Jul 21, 2024
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 02, 2024
Observation date: Jul 30, 2024
Submitted by: LeaveIllusionBehind
Region: Washington County, Vermont, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 31, 2024
Observation date: Jul 06, 2024
Submitted by: Russ Wigh
Region: Chatham County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jul 30, 2024
Observation date: Jul 27, 2024
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Allendale County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jul 30, 2024
Observation date: Jun 15, 2024
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 30, 2024
Observation date: Jul 27, 2024
Submitted by: TJ in Derry
Region: Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 29, 2024
Observation date: Jul 24, 2024
Submitted by: Nelson Mostow
Region: Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 28, 2024
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