Horace’s Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)

 

Horace’s Duskywing is a medium-sized brown skipper that typically perches with its wings spread. At first glance, this fast-flying, darting butterfly may be mistaken for a moth, but it belongs to the skipper family of butterflies.

Both males and females have white spots on the forewing, including a distinct white spot in the forewing cell, the oval area between the veins near the leading edge, and close to the body. These white spots are generally larger in females. The overall color is a rich brown with no trace of gray. Males are also marked by a bold white line above the eye.

 

“Horace’s Duskywing” by Kenneth Cole Schneider, licensed under (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

 

Horace’s Duskywing Facts

Butterfly Family: Skipper (Hesperiidae)

Butterfly Subfamily: Pyrginae

Butterfly Wingspan: 1 7/16 – 1 15/16 inches

Butterfly Habitat: Open woodlands and edges, clearings, fence-rows, wooded swamps, power-line right-of-ways, open fields, and roadsides

 

🪴 Host Plants

These are the plants where females lay eggs and caterpillars feed:

  • Blackjack Oak (Quercus marilandica)

  • Live Oak (Quercus virginiana)

  • Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra)

  • Post Oak (Quercus stellata)

  • Scrub Oak (Quercus ilicifolia)

  • Southern Red Oak (Quercus falcata)

  • Water Oak (Quercus nigra)

  • White Oak (Quercus alba)

  • Willow Oak (Quercus phellos)

 

🌸 Nectar Plants

Adult Horace’s Duskywings feed on nectar from the following native flowers:

  • Blazing Star (Liatris spp.)

  • Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum)

  • Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)

  • Dogbane (Apocynum spp.)

  • Fleabane (Erigeron spp.)

  • Goldenrod (Solidago spp.)

  • Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum)

  • Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum spp.)

  • Peppermint (Mentha × piperita)

  • Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

  • Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale)

  • Tennessee Coneflower (Echinacea tennesseensis)

  • Thistles (Cirsium spp.)

  • Winter Cress (Barbarea spp.)