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.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 241 - 264 of 3021 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 19, 2021
Submitted by: Marquy275
Region: Wayne County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 20, 2021
Observation date: Aug 15, 2021
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 16, 2021
Observation date: Aug 15, 2021
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 16, 2021
Observation date: Aug 11, 2021
Submitted by: kcdemille
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 12, 2021
Observation date: Aug 11, 2021
Submitted by: p_stritch
Region: Berkeley County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 11, 2021
Observation date: Aug 11, 2021
Submitted by: greggra
Region: Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 11, 2021
Observation date: Aug 07, 2021
Submitted by: pgrew1@unl.edu
Region: Penobscot County, Maine, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 09, 2021
Observation date: Aug 04, 2021
Submitted by: jenken1
Region: Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 09, 2021
Observation date: Aug 03, 2021
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 05, 2021
Observation date: Aug 03, 2021
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 05, 2021
Observation date: Jul 23, 2021
Submitted by: psmith
Region: Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 28, 2021
Observation date: Jul 19, 2021
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 28, 2021
Observation date: Jul 26, 2021
Submitted by: RandyRoss
Region: Cortland County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 28, 2021
Observation date: Jul 20, 2021
Submitted by: Jim Lowe
Region: Tompkins County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 26, 2021
Observation date: Jul 20, 2021
Submitted by: yardbird
Region: Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 22, 2021
Observation date: Jul 21, 2021
Submitted by: mtobin11
Region: Lake County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 22, 2021
Observation date: Jul 19, 2021
Submitted by: Mendrola
Region: Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 20, 2021
Observation date: Jul 19, 2021
Submitted by: kristasessions
Region: Cortland County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 20, 2021
Observation date: Jul 19, 2021
Submitted by: jwileyrains
Region: Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 19, 2021
Observation date: Jul 15, 2021
Submitted by: CathK
Region: Albany County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 19, 2021
Observation date: Jul 14, 2021
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 19, 2021
Observation date: Jul 19, 2021
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 19, 2021
Observation date: Jul 19, 2021
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 19, 2021
Observation date: Jul 03, 2020
Submitted by: S_Gucciardo
Region: Washington County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jul 16, 2021
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