Erynnis icelus
Size:
Wingspan is 1 1/8 - 1 1/2 inches.
Similar Species:
Sleepy Duskywing
Wild Indigo
Duskywing
Habitat:
Dirt roads, forest margins and openings in hardwood and mixed forests.
Range/Abundance:
Common and widespread in the mountains
in spring. Uncommon to local in the northeastern piedmont.
Flight Period:
Adults fly from early April until late June in a single brood.
Larval Host Plants:
Willows Salix and poplars Populus
Comments:
This is the smallest duskywing found in the mountains in spring. The male
is problematic as it is resembles the larger male Sleepy
Duskywing a great deal. The difference in size usually is best way
to tell the two apart but is not always guaranteed. Dreamy Duskywing is
typically a mountain species, so if you’re far away from the mountains
then Sleepy Duskywing males are easy.
The top photo was taken in Clay Co., NC on May 04, 2003.
The second photo was taken in Macon Co., NC on May 25, 2002. The third
photo was taken in Clay Co., NC on May 04, 2003. The bottom photo was
taken in the Caswell Gamelands in Caswell Co., NC on April 12, 2003.
