Horace's Duskywing Erynnis horatius

Duskywings can be identification challenges! Females tend to be more mottled than males. This species has fairly large whitish subabpical spots along with a white spot closer to the body than the wrist patch along the leading edge of the forewing.


Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius), Male
Manteo, Dare Co., NC
18 Sep 2024
Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius), Female
Duke Forest, Durham Co., NC
4 Sep 2024

Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)
Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius), Male
New Hanover Co., NC
27 Aug 2005
Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius), Male
Person Co., NC
13 Jun 2006

Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) Size and brightness of white spots near wing tips are variable, and the inner "wrist spot" may be absent, resembling Zarucco Duskywing.
Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius), Male
Orange Co., NC
29 July 2008
Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius), Male
Watauga Co., NC
23 Aug 2016

Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)
Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)
Durham Division Duke Forest, Orange Co., NC
23 Aug 2020
Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)
Durham Division Duke Forest, Orange Co., NC
17 Aug 2014

Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius), Female
Nectaring on Lespediza
Orange Co., NC
20 Aug 2005

Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius), Female
Orange Co., NC
15 June 2006

Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)
Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius), Female
Nectaring on Pycnanthemum tenuifolium
Orange Co., NC
16 July 2003

Pettigrew State Park
Washington Co., NC
21 June 2003

Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)
Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius), Female
Nectaring on Pycnanthemum tenuifolium
Blackwood Division of Duke Forest
Orange Co., NC
25 July 2003
Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius), Female
New Hanover Co., NC
28 August 2004

Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius), Female
Chowan Swamp GL, Hertford Co., NC
20 Sep 2023

Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)
Tomkins Knob Overlook, Wilkes Co., NC
15 May 2020

Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)
Duke Forest Durham Division, Orange Co., NC
27 Aug 2019

Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius), Female
Sandhills Game Lands, Richmond Co., NC
4 Aug 2016

Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius), female
Durham Co., NC
19 Aug 2007

Note that Horace's normally do NOT show those two white subapical underhindwing spots...


Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)

This is likely a spring brood Horace's Duskywing from the mountains, where the huge majority of larger duskywings at this time of year are Juvenal's. Alternatively, this could be a Juvenal's that lacks the 2 subapical underhindwing spots.

Haywood Co., NC
13 May 2006
Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)

Many butterflies, especially duskywings will annoy the photographer by partially closing their wings when approached by the camera from above!

Buncombe Co., NC
8 July 2006

Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) mated pair
Duke Forest, Orange Co., NC
16 Aug 2015

Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)
Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)
Duke Forest Durham Division, Orange Co., NC
11 Aug 2019
Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)
Duke Forest Durham Division, Orange Co., NC
11 Aug 2019

Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)
Duke Forest Durham Division, Durham Co., NC
9 July 2018
Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)
Duke Forest, Orange Co., NC
21 June 2020

Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)
Elizabethan Gardens, Dare Co., NC
20 June 2020
Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)
Elizabethan Gardens, Dare Co., NC
20 June 2020

Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)
Duke Forest, Orange Co., NC
1 Aug 2020

Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)
Duke Forest, Durham Co., NC
4 Apr 2021

Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)
Rougemont, Durham Co., NC
7 June 2017
Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)
Lumber River S.P., Scotland Co., NC
25 May 2023

Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)
Lumber River S.P., Scotland Co., NC
25 May 2023

Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)
Duke Forest, Durham Co., NC
6 Aug 2024

Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)
Bluestem Conservation Cemetery, Orange Co., NC
14 Aug 2024

Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)
Lumber River S.P., Scotland Co., NC
25 May 2023

Horace's Duskywings (Erynnis horatius)
Lumber River S.P., Scotland Co., NC
25 May 2023

Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) caterpillar
Kankakee Sands, Newton Co., IN
28 July 2015

Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)
Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)
Kankakee Sands, Newton Co., IN
28 July 2015

Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)
Royal Gorge, Fremont Co., CO
11 July 2016

Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)
Eagle Nest Lake Unit, San Bernard NWR, Brazoria Co., TX
24 Apr 2018

Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)
Matheson Hammock Park, Miami-Dade Co., FL
17 Sep 2016

Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) caterpillar
Eno Division Duke Forest, Orange Co., NC
11 Oct 2013

This is most likely a Horace's Duskywing caterpillar based on time of year. Feeding on Southern Red Oak (Quercus falcata).




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Created on ... June 29, 2003 | jeffpippen9@gmail.com