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• The butterflies:
• Skippers
  • Spread-wing Skippers
  • Skipperlings
  • Grass-Skippers
• Spread-wing Skippers
  • Silver-spotted Skipper
  • Hoary Edge
  • Southern Cloudywing
  • Northern Cloudywing
  • Hayhurst’s Scallopwing
  • Dreamy Duskywing
  • Sleepy Duskywing
  • Juvenal’s Duskywing
  • Horace’s Duskywing
  • Mottled Duskywing
  • Funereal Duskywing
  • Columbine Duskywing
  • Wild Indigo Duskywing
  • Persius Duskywing
  • Common Checkered-Skipper
  • Common Sootywing

Horace’s Duskywing

(Erynnis horatius)

Range maps such as those given in “Butterflies of North America” by Brock & Kaufman make it appear like this species is likely to be found in Wisconsin, with the map clearly showing the range as including more than a third of the state, including an area south of a line from north of Milwaukee to Minneapolis. Glassberg’s “Butterflies through Binoculars: The East” is perhaps a more accurate picture of the range for this species, as his range map does not include Wisconsin at all. This species has been found in a couple southern counties, and could possibly be found elsewhere in the southern counties, but it is clear that this butterfly has not been seen with regularity in Wisconsin, and one not likely to be encountered. This butterfly is most similar to the Juvenal’s Duskywing and because of the resemblance, may have been overlooked. Because Horace’s Duskywing is double brooded, it is more likely to be noticed in July where a Duskywing that looks like a Juvenal’s Duskywing would undoubtedly be this species.

Identifying characteristics: Very similar to Juvenal’s Duskywing in general appearance. The male is much darker, with smaller white spots, no white hairs throughout the forewing above, and palps that are often white. The female has much larger white spots, and has more of a contrast between light and dark areas. Below both sexes are uniformly brown below with two rows of light spots near the wing margin.

Similar species: Horace’s Duskywing is most likely to be confused with the Juvenal’s Duskywing in the spring and early summer, when they may be flying together. The key difference is that the Horace’s lacks the two apical white spots on the hindwing below. During the second brood, they are more likely to be confused with an Wild Indigo Duskywing or the Columbine Duskywing, either of which may be flying with it. It is told from these by being larger on the average and not having a very dark inner third of its forewing above.

Habitat: Found along woodland edges, old fields, roadsides where its larval host plants, various species of oaks, grow.

Flight: Two broods. The first brood is present in May and early June with a second brood mainly in July.

Abundance: Rarely seen in Wisconsin, but like the Juvenal’s Duskywing is not usually found in abundance, and it is more likely that you would see a single individual.

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