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 289 - 312 of 3021 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 25, 2020
Submitted by: drmarc60223
Region: La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Mar 27, 2021
Observation date: Jul 04, 2011
Submitted by: Wade Wander
Region: Sussex County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Jack Connor
Verified date: Feb 17, 2021
Observation date: Jul 06, 2017
Submitted by: MarkNenadov
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jan 25, 2021
Observation date: Aug 09, 2019
Submitted by: billmac
Region: Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 11, 2021
Observation date: Jun 23, 2017
Submitted by: c4c
Region: Bedford County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 09, 2021
Observation date: May 01, 2018
Submitted by: yardbird
Region: Powhatan County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 08, 2021
Observation date: Aug 09, 2018
Submitted by: c4c
Region: Bedford County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 06, 2021
Observation date: Aug 16, 2018
Submitted by: bsomberg
Region: Page County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 06, 2021
Observation date: May 21, 2018
Submitted by: ian pepper
Region: Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 06, 2021
Observation date: May 04, 2020
Submitted by: ChrissyL
Region: Montgomery County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Dec 31, 2020
Observation date: May 10, 2020
Submitted by: ChrissyL
Region: Russell County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Dec 31, 2020
Observation date: May 27, 2015
Submitted by: Appy-Brown
Region: Grand Isle County, Vermont, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Dec 30, 2020
Observation date: Aug 04, 2019
Submitted by: mmwm
Region: Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 18, 2020
Observation date: Jul 30, 2019
Submitted by: Don Marotte
Region: Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 18, 2020
Observation date: Oct 19, 2015
Submitted by: stucknick
Region: Des Moines County, Iowa, United States
Verified by: Eric Wood
Verified date: Dec 16, 2020
Observation date: Aug 03, 2017
Submitted by: NCARI
Region: Dare County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Dec 10, 2020
Observation date: Sep 11, 2014
Submitted by: AllenRatz
Region: Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Dec 10, 2020
Observation date: Jun 19, 2014
Submitted by: AllenRatz
Region: Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Dec 09, 2020
Observation date: Sep 10, 2018
Submitted by: sam_hartzler
Region: Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 03, 2020
Observation date: Aug 01, 2010
Submitted by: Indy Entomologist
Region: Boone County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 03, 2020
Observation date: Aug 06, 2020
Submitted by: Octavephotographers
Region: Douglas County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Dec 03, 2020
Observation date: Aug 14, 2010
Submitted by: julmast
Region: St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 02, 2020
Observation date: Jul 05, 2014
Submitted by: Becky Byrum
Region: Delaware County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 02, 2020
Observation date: Sep 12, 2020
Submitted by: pauhana
Region: Davidson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: Nov 28, 2020
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