''Erynnis brizo'', the sleepy duskywing or banded oak duskywing, is a species of

Hesperiidae Skippers are a family of the Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) named the Hesperiidae. Being diurnal, they are generally called butterflies. They were previously placed in a separate superfamily, Hesperioidea; however, the most recent taxonomy ...

butterfly that occurs throughout North America and is commonly confused with '' E. juvenalis'' and '' E. lucilius''. The species is listed as threatened in

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

and Maine.

Description

The upper forewing is blackish brown with continuous bluish-brown spots. The hindwing is almost completely brown with lighter brown spots. The caterpillar of this species is small and gray green with purplish tips. There is a faint lateral white stripe. Unlike most caterpillars

have distinct heads and the ''E. brizo'' head is brown with an orange spot.

Habitat

This small ''

Erynnis ''Erynnis'' is a genus in the skippers butterfly family Hesperiidae, known as the duskywings. ''Erynnis'' is found in the Neotropical realm and across the Palearctic, but the highest species diversity is in the Nearctic. The genus was erected by ...

'' stays in oak-pine barrens and cut-over forest. It can be seen near forest edges including near roads, train tracks and towns.

Food plants

The larvae consume Scrub oak (

Quercus ilicifolia ''Quercus ilicifolia'', commonly known as bear oak or scrub oak, is a small shrubby oak native to the eastern United States and southeastern Canada. Its range extends in the United States from Maine to North Carolina, with reports of a few popul ...

) and other shrubby oaks. The adults consume Nectar from flowers of heaths (Ericaceae) including wild

azalea Azaleas are flowering shrubs in the genus ''Rhododendron'', particularly the former sections '' Tsutsusi'' (evergreen) and '' Pentanthera'' (deciduous). Azaleas bloom in the spring (April and May in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, and Oct ...

and blueberry; also

blackberry The blackberry is an edible fruit produced by many species in the genus ''Rubus'' in the family Rosaceae, hybrids among these species within the subgenus ''Rubus'', and hybrids between the subgenera ''Rubus'' and ''Idaeobatus''. The taxonomy of ...

and dandelion. Erynnis brizo

References

Erynnis Butterflies of North America Butterflies described in 1832 {{Pyrginae-stub