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 25 - 48 of 2867 verified sightings
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
Observation date: Jul 25, 2024
Submitted by: jwileyrains
Region: Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 26, 2024
Observation date: Jul 22, 2024
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 23, 2024
Observation date: Jul 21, 2024
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 22, 2024
Observation date: Jul 19, 2024
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 20, 2024
Observation date: Jul 18, 2024
Submitted by: tedzimmerman
Region: Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 18, 2024
Observation date: Sep 29, 2019
Submitted by: ships333
Region: Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 13, 2024
Observation date: Jun 11, 2024
Submitted by: sedges
Region: Georgia, Stephens County, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jul 07, 2024
Observation date: Jul 04, 2024
Submitted by: Benjamin Miller
Region: Knox County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 05, 2024
Observation date: Jul 02, 2024
Submitted by: marilynne
Region: Palm Beach County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 03, 2024
Observation date: Jun 29, 2024
Submitted by: Rantuanett
Region: Lee County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 30, 2024
Observation date: Jun 29, 2024
Submitted by: theskyeworld
Region: Texas, Travis County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 29, 2024
Observation date: Jun 24, 2024
Submitted by: Bugfae
Region: Marion County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 24, 2024
Observation date: Jun 23, 2024
Submitted by: houdini73
Region: Brown County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 24, 2024
Observation date: Jun 16, 2024
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jun 17, 2024
Observation date: Jun 09, 2024
Submitted by: therapypetz
Region: Broward County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 11, 2024
Observation date: May 22, 2016
Submitted by: Ken Cheeks
Region: Richmond County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jun 09, 2024
Observation date: May 02, 2024
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: Lincoln County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 06, 2024
Observation date: Jun 16, 2023
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: Virginia, York County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 24, 2024
Observation date: Jun 13, 2023
Submitted by: DVL
Region: Halifax County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 23, 2024
Observation date: Aug 19, 2023
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: Virginia, York County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 23, 2024
Observation date: Jul 19, 2022
Submitted by: nehall
Region: Martinsville, Virginia, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 23, 2024
Observation date: May 16, 2023
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: Newport News, Virginia, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 23, 2024
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