Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

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Santa Barbara Field Guides - Butterflies
Lepidoptera
   Hesperiidae

     Erynnis tristis
     Mournful Duskywing


upperside
underside

Size: wingspread 1.25-1.75 in.
Recognition: Brown with white HW fringes; few small white spots in upper FW; difficult to distinguish from other duskywings in the field.
Flight period: Adults (representing multiple generations) are active from spring to late fall.
Hostplants: Larvae feed on oaks (Quercus), including coast live oak (Q. agrifolia), and valley oak (Q. lobata).
Habitat: This species is found mainly in oak forests.
Distribution: Found in the coast ranges and Sierra Nevada of California, also in Arizona and New Mexico south into Mexico.

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