Mournful Duskywing
Erynnis tristis
Description 1 1/4-1 5/8" (32-41 mm). FW patterned; FW fairly plain. Male dark brown, especially on HW above; female warmer brown, mottled with lighter brown on HW above. Both sexes have rows of darker wedge-shaped spots crossing FW, with small glassy dots along median row and a few small
white spots in the submarginal row. Below, generally lighter; HW has white patches near margin in populations outside California. White HW fringes.
Similar Species White-fringed populations of Juvenal's and Pacuvius duskywings have partial brown fringe checkering. Funereal Duskywing has narrower, longer FW and squared HW.
Life Cycle Several species of oaks (Quercus) are
host plants.
Flight Up to 3 broods; March-November in Arizona-New Mexico; spring, fall, and sometimes January in California.
Habitat Valleys, mountains, and foothills among oak scrub and savannah; redwood canyons and hills.
Range California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico south to Colombia.
Discussion Mournful Duskywings seek hilltops and perch on low vegetation. Scudder's Duskywing (E. scudderi) of southeastern Arizona and Mexico is rather similar and also white-fringed. It has faint brown checkering in the fringes, however, and the hind wing below lacks whitish patches near the margin.
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