Bug FAQAfranius Duskywing
Erynnis afranius · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Hesperiidae
The Afranius duskywing is a small butterfly with a wingspan of about 25 to 31 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Erynnis afranius is also called the Afranius duskywing or bald duskywing and belongs to the skipper family Hesperiidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan ranges from 25 to 31 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars feed on Lupinus, Lotus and Thermopsis rhombifolia plants.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
There are two generations each year, flying from mid-May to late August.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from mid-May through late August, producing two broods.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range includes northern Mexico, the central United States and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 18 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Colorado, California, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nebraska, Montana, Alaska.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What do the caterpillars eat?
The larvae feed on Lupinus, Lotus and Thermopsis rhombifolia species.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Hesperiidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erynnis_afranius
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.