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 289 - 312 of 2939 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 23, 2021
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: McIntosh County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Feb 13, 2022
Observation date: Sep 22, 2017
Submitted by: evangareth
Region: District of Columbia, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Feb 05, 2022
Observation date: Sep 14, 2019
Submitted by: rogerashton
Region: Cape May County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Feb 05, 2022
Observation date: Jul 23, 2005
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Feb 05, 2022
Observation date: Jul 14, 2020
Submitted by: purplechickadee
Region: Passaic County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Feb 05, 2022
Observation date: Jun 25, 2019
Submitted by: reupurtbones
Region: Edmonson County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jan 02, 2022
Observation date: Jul 29, 2019
Submitted by: Shawnann74
Region: Oldham County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jan 02, 2022
Observation date: Aug 26, 2016
Submitted by: kstock
Region: Macomb County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Dec 06, 2021
Observation date: Apr 14, 2017
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Indian River County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 21, 2021
Observation date: Apr 15, 2017
Submitted by: Jared Satchell
Region: Talbot County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 08, 2021
Observation date: Aug 29, 2016
Submitted by: jwilkinson
Region: Howard County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 08, 2021
Observation date: Jun 30, 2017
Submitted by: ewpoet
Region: Talbot County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 08, 2021
Observation date: Sep 05, 2016
Submitted by: ewpoet
Region: Dorchester County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 08, 2021
Observation date: Jul 15, 2010
Submitted by: botanybill
Region: Howard County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 08, 2021
Observation date: Jul 21, 2017
Submitted by: botanybill
Region: Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 08, 2021
Observation date: Jul 08, 2017
Submitted by: botanybill
Region: Howard County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 06, 2021
Observation date: Sep 02, 2018
Submitted by: mercretas
Region: Montgomery County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 05, 2021
Observation date: Jul 18, 2018
Submitted by: byn602
Region: Montgomery County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 05, 2021
Observation date: Jul 01, 2019
Submitted by: Kurt R. Schwarz
Region: Howard County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 04, 2021
Observation date: Jul 01, 2019
Submitted by: Kurt R. Schwarz
Region: Howard County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 04, 2021
Observation date: Apr 14, 2021
Submitted by: Jay Brasher
Region: Lincoln County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Nov 03, 2021
Observation date: Jul 06, 2019
Submitted by: Dave Webb
Region: Kent County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 03, 2021
Observation date: Sep 13, 2018
Submitted by: ChrissyL
Region: Hamblen County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: S. J. Stedman
Verified date: Nov 02, 2021
Observation date: Jun 20, 2019
Submitted by: WINGSaloftinKS
Region: Douglas County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: azukoff
Verified date: Nov 01, 2021
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