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 409 - 432 of 3022 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 12, 2019
Submitted by: EMB
Region: Franklin County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 13, 2019
Observation date: Aug 12, 2019
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 13, 2019
Observation date: Aug 29, 2018
Submitted by: Eric Wood
Region: Boone County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 12, 2019
Observation date: Aug 10, 2019
Submitted by: ships333
Region: Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 12, 2019
Observation date: Aug 10, 2019
Submitted by: vvryabyy
Region: Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 10, 2019
Observation date: Aug 09, 2019
Submitted by: davek
Region: Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 10, 2019
Observation date: Aug 01, 2019
Submitted by: Bob Bouman
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 03, 2019
Observation date: Jul 31, 2019
Submitted by: Michiganbirder19
Region: Genesee County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 02, 2019
Observation date: Jul 25, 2019
Submitted by: MarieAline
Region: Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 02, 2019
Observation date: Jun 23, 2018
Submitted by: Eric Wood
Region: Boone County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 01, 2019
Observation date: May 11, 2019
Submitted by: Cameala
Region: Juniata County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 01, 2019
Observation date: Aug 01, 2019
Submitted by: DebbieLW
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 01, 2019
Observation date: Jul 30, 2019
Submitted by: Michiganbirder19
Region: Genesee County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 31, 2019
Observation date: Jul 30, 2019
Submitted by: Birder13
Region: Genesee County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 30, 2019
Observation date: Jul 26, 2019
Submitted by: Jim Lowe
Region: Tompkins County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 28, 2019
Observation date: Jul 18, 2019
Submitted by: pachips
Region: Bedford County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 19, 2019
Observation date: Jul 16, 2019
Submitted by: pachips
Region: Bedford County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 17, 2019
Observation date: Jul 16, 2019
Submitted by: robert.emond
Region: Lowndes County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jul 17, 2019
Observation date: Jul 14, 2019
Submitted by: Mark Plessner
Region: Lucas County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 16, 2019
Observation date: Jul 15, 2019
Submitted by: LindsayR-WCS-D4
Region: Athens County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 15, 2019
Observation date: Jul 13, 2019
Submitted by: MSEmbeck
Region: Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 15, 2019
Observation date: Jul 12, 2019
Submitted by: David Smith
Region: Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 12, 2019
Observation date: Jul 10, 2019
Submitted by: MSEmbeck
Region: Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 10, 2019
Observation date: Jul 10, 2019
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 10, 2019
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