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 49 - 72 of 2815 verified sightings
Observation date: May 19, 2023
Submitted by: kowen
Region: Hays County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 27, 2023
Observation date: May 23, 2023
Submitted by: Winston22
Region: Leon County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 25, 2023
Observation date: Apr 24, 2023
Submitted by: JolieElise
Region: Harris County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 14, 2023
Observation date: May 10, 2023
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Union County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 10, 2023
Observation date: Apr 23, 2023
Submitted by: LMorrisButterfly
Region: Manatee County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 08, 2023
Observation date: Apr 24, 2023
Submitted by: Diana Goodwin
Region: Pinellas County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 29, 2023
Observation date: Apr 18, 2023
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Cumberland County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Apr 19, 2023
Observation date: Apr 16, 2023
Submitted by: Marta Reece
Region: Otero County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Apr 18, 2023
Observation date: Apr 10, 2023
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Franklin County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Apr 11, 2023
Observation date: Apr 10, 2023
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Marion County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Apr 11, 2023
Observation date: Mar 04, 2023
Submitted by: sofia.pione
Region: Broward County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 10, 2023
Observation date: Feb 02, 2023
Submitted by: John Gibbons
Region: Pinellas County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 03, 2023
Observation date: Jan 17, 2023
Submitted by: John Gibbons
Region: Pinellas County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jan 18, 2023
Observation date: Mar 20, 2004
Submitted by: hydapse
Region: Aransas County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 18, 2023
Observation date: Jul 12, 2022
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Otero County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Dec 31, 2022
Observation date: Jul 26, 2022
Submitted by: hockeybruce7
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Dec 30, 2022
Observation date: Oct 06, 2022
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 20, 2022
Observation date: Aug 03, 2022
Submitted by: JolieElise
Region: Harris County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 18, 2022
Observation date: Apr 26, 2020
Submitted by: loyallonghorn
Region: Fort Bend County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 16, 2022
Observation date: Jul 13, 2021
Submitted by: Kari
Region: Brazoria County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 15, 2022
Observation date: Jun 01, 2019
Submitted by: kellz719
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 14, 2022
Observation date: Jul 18, 2019
Submitted by: kellz719
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 14, 2022
Observation date: Jul 14, 2019
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 14, 2022
Observation date: Aug 06, 2020
Submitted by: Lynettesvincent...
Region: Texas, Smith County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 14, 2022
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