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 337 - 360 of 3021 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 06, 2020
Submitted by: kristasessions
Region: Cortland County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 16, 2020
Observation date: Aug 12, 2020
Submitted by: Backyard Ecology
Region: Kendall County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 12, 2020
Observation date: Aug 05, 2020
Submitted by: Robert Nelson
Region: Baxter County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 06, 2020
Observation date: Jul 30, 2020
Submitted by: djarrow
Region: York County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 06, 2020
Observation date: Jul 12, 2020
Submitted by: CrescentWing34
Region: Franklin County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 30, 2020
Observation date: Jul 28, 2020
Submitted by: Rjfischer
Region: Wayne County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 29, 2020
Observation date: Jul 24, 2020
Submitted by: hank_j
Region: Albany County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 27, 2020
Observation date: Jul 26, 2020
Submitted by: barthsm
Region: Erie County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 27, 2020
Observation date: Jul 23, 2020
Submitted by: mmeshaka
Region: Adams County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 25, 2020
Observation date: Jul 20, 2020
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 22, 2020
Observation date: Jul 21, 2020
Submitted by: yardbird
Region: Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 22, 2020
Observation date: Jul 19, 2020
Submitted by: djarrow
Region: York County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 20, 2020
Observation date: Jul 20, 2020
Submitted by: djarrow
Region: York County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 20, 2020
Observation date: Jul 19, 2020
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 20, 2020
Observation date: Jul 18, 2020
Submitted by: Jenny Leat
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 20, 2020
Observation date: Jul 19, 2020
Submitted by: linus
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 20, 2020
Observation date: Jul 20, 2020
Submitted by: Carmel Mothersill
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 20, 2020
Observation date: Jul 20, 2020
Submitted by: Carmel Mothersill
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 20, 2020
Observation date: Jul 11, 2020
Submitted by: Carmel Mothersill
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 20, 2020
Observation date: Jul 19, 2020
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 19, 2020
Observation date: Jul 19, 2020
Submitted by: David Badger
Region: Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 19, 2020
Observation date: May 01, 2012
Submitted by: maarhuis
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 19, 2020
Observation date: Jul 18, 2020
Submitted by: Jenny Leat
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 19, 2020
Observation date: Jul 17, 2020
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 18, 2020
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