Wild Indigo Duskywing
Erynnis baptisiae (Forbes, 1936)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Pyrginae
Identification: Upperside of forewing is dark on the basal half and lighter on the outer half, with a distinct orange-brown patch at the end of the cell. Male has a costal fold containing yellow scent scales; female has a patch of scent scales on the 7th abdominal segment.
Wing Span: 1 3/8 - 1 5/8 inches (3/5 - 4.1 cm).
Life History: Males perch in open areas on low shrubs to wait for females. Eggs are deposited singly on the host plant. Fully-grown caterpillars from the second brood hibernate.
Flight: Two broods from late April to early June and from July to August.
Caterpillar Hosts: Usually wild indigo (Baptisia tinctoria), but also others including wild blue indigo (B. australis), lupine (Lupinus perennis), false lupine (Thermopsis villosa), and crown vetch (Coronilla varia).
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers of blackberry, white sweet clover, dogbane, sunflower, crimson clover, and probably others.
Habitat: Open woods and barrens for native hosts. Highways, railroad beds, and upland fields for the introduced crown vetch.
Range: Southern New England and southern Ontario west to central Nebraska; south to Georgia, the Gulf Coast, and southcentral Texas. The Wild Indigo duskywing is rapidly expanding its range and abundance by colonizing plantings of crown vetch along roadways and railroad beds. Comments: The Columbine, Wild Indigo, and Persius dusky wings belong to the "Persius complex," a confusing group of very similar butterflies.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Please donate!
We depend on donations to keep Butterflies and Moths of North America freely available. We want to express our gratitude to all who showed their support by making a contribution this year. You can donate to support this project at any time.
Advertise with us!
Do you have a product or service that you think would interest BAMONA users? If you would like to advertise on this website, contact us by email, or use the contact form and select the "Advertising" category.
Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 3016 verified sightings
Observation date: Sep 12, 2020
Submitted by: lmreid71
Region: Cleburne County, Alabama, United States
Verified by: Alex Stach
Verified date: Mar 23, 2026
Observation date: Jul 21, 2024
Submitted by: Bookworm86
Region: Virginia, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 18, 2026
Observation date: Jun 27, 2020
Submitted by: Susan McSwain
Region: Nelson County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 18, 2026
Observation date: Aug 15, 2015
Submitted by: Mboater
Region: Buena Vista, Virginia, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 18, 2026
Observation date: Aug 24, 2016
Submitted by: Mboater
Region: Amherst County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 18, 2026
Observation date: Jul 20, 2025
Submitted by: Beehunter1
Region: Stafford County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 17, 2026
Observation date: Sep 03, 2024
Submitted by: kingbird18
Region: Macomb County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 16, 2026
Observation date: Aug 21, 2024
Submitted by: Greg Smith
Region: Ingham County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 16, 2026
Observation date: Jul 02, 2025
Submitted by: dkBirder
Region: Calhoun County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 16, 2026
Observation date: Jul 21, 2024
Submitted by: pporonto
Region: Macomb County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 16, 2026
Observation date: Jul 20, 2019
Submitted by: KenL
Region: James City County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 16, 2026
Observation date: Sep 01, 2025
Submitted by: philsfotos1
Region: Livingston County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 16, 2026
Observation date: Apr 09, 2025
Submitted by: seemayer
Region: Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Feb 16, 2026
Observation date: Aug 18, 2025
Submitted by: seemayer
Region: Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Feb 16, 2026
Observation date: Sep 21, 2024
Submitted by: Ken Cheeks
Region: Aiken County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jan 19, 2026
Observation date: Sep 05, 2025
Submitted by: Snellzy
Region: Davidson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Sep 02, 2018
Submitted by: Michiganbirder19
Region: Genesee County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Oct 21, 2025
Observation date: Aug 28, 2022
Submitted by: Marquy275
Region: Wayne County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Oct 21, 2025
Observation date: Sep 04, 2025
Submitted by: mtobin11
Region: Lake County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 28, 2025
Observation date: Sep 07, 2025
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 19, 2025
Observation date: Sep 09, 2025
Submitted by: barthsm
Region: Erie County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 13, 2025
Observation date: Aug 27, 2022
Submitted by: dbryant562
Region: Wayne County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 10, 2025
Observation date: Aug 27, 2022
Submitted by: dbryant562
Region: Wayne County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 10, 2025
Observation date: Sep 04, 2025
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 04, 2025
- 1 of 126
- next ›