General Description

The duskywing skippers (genus Erynnis) can be a challenge to identify, particularly in prairie habitat where all three species may occur together. The white spots in the forewing tip are useful characters for separating these species: Afranius and persius both have at least two (usually three or four) spots, while the Dreamy Duskywing (Erynnis icelus) has only one spot or none at all. Afranius is more difficult to separate from Persius; Afranius is more brown in colour, not grey, and the fore- and hindwing do not contrast grey (forewing) and grey-brown (hindwing) to the same extent that Persius does; Individuals from short-grass prairie habitat in August are almost certainly E. afranius, since E. persius does not have a second brood. Uncertain specimens must be dissected for diagnostic characteristics of the male genitalia; see Scott (1986) and Guppy & Shepard (2001) for illustrations.