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Species Erynnis zarucco - Zarucco Duskywing - Hodges#3956

Skipper? - Erynnis zarucco - female Zarucco Duskywing - Erynnis zarucco - female Which Duskywings? - Erynnis zarucco - male - female Black Skipper - Erynnis zarucco skipper - Erynnis zarucco Duskwing visiting Vaccinium - Erynnis zarucco Zarucco Duskywing Caterpillar - Erynnis zarucco Duskywing - Erynnis zarucco
Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily Papilionoidea (Butterflies and Skippers)
Family Hesperiidae (Skippers)
Subfamily Pyrginae (Spread-wing Skippers)
Tribe Erynnini
Genus Erynnis (Duskywings)
Species zarucco (Zarucco Duskywing - Hodges#3956)
Hodges Number
3956
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Orig. Comb: Thanaos Zarucco Lucas, 1857
Size
42-48mm wingspan
Identification
One of the larger Duskywings.
Dorsal, both males and females have a reddish brown patch near the white cell end spots. Trailing edge of the wings have a pale tan fringe, sometimes white in the Florida Keys.
Ventral, dark with little to no spotting.
The Duskywings are difficult group to separate. Compare with Wild Indigo Duskywing and Horace's Duskywing
Range
TX-FL-VA-OK (several strays to NY, ONT) / Cuba - MPG
Habitat
Found in open fields, forest edges, and open scrub areas with host plants or nectat sources.
Season
3 or more broods, year round in Florida, an March-October northward.
Food
Woody legumes, including several Locusts.
Life Cycle
Caterpillars tie leaves together for shelter. Fall caterpillars overwinter as larva.
Remarks
Type Locality: "habite l’île de Cuba"
See Also
Note the lack of a white spot inside the "wrist" of the forewing that Juvenal's and Horace's have.
Print References
(1) (2) (3)
Internet References
Species Page - Jeffrey Pippen, Duke
Works Cited
1.Butterflies of the East Coast : An Observer's Guide
Rick Cech, Guy Tudor. 2005. Princeton University Press.
2.Butterflies of North America (Kaufman Focus Guides)
Jim P. Brock, Kenn Kaufman. 2003. Houghton Mifflin Co.
3.Butterflies Through Binoculars: The East
Jeffrey Glassberg. 1999. Oxford University Press.