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 457 - 480 of 3022 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 23, 2018
Submitted by: WINGSaloftinKS
Region: Douglas County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Aug 26, 2018
Observation date: May 03, 2018
Submitted by: KS bird-man
Region: Saline County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Aug 26, 2018
Observation date: Aug 25, 2018
Submitted by: meadowglenfarm
Region: Scott County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: Howell_Curtis
Verified date: Aug 26, 2018
Observation date: Aug 24, 2018
Submitted by: rogerashton
Region: Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 25, 2018
Observation date: Aug 22, 2018
Submitted by: Pcasteel
Region: Davidson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: Aug 24, 2018
Observation date: Aug 21, 2018
Submitted by: ydlrun
Region: Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 23, 2018
Observation date: Aug 21, 2018
Submitted by: AllanFarman
Region: Cook County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 21, 2018
Observation date: Aug 19, 2018
Submitted by: SaraJE
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 20, 2018
Observation date: Aug 19, 2018
Submitted by: pachips
Region: Bedford County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 20, 2018
Observation date: Aug 14, 2018
Submitted by: EMB
Region: Franklin County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 15, 2018
Observation date: Aug 05, 2018
Submitted by: BugBrit
Region: Penobscot County, Maine, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 15, 2018
Observation date: Jul 15, 2018
Submitted by: soilfertility
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 15, 2018
Observation date: Aug 03, 2018
Submitted by: Bkripto
Region: Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 15, 2018
Observation date: Aug 03, 2018
Submitted by: Jim Lowe
Region: Tompkins County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 09, 2018
Observation date: Aug 04, 2018
Submitted by: davidboon
Region: Macomb County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 04, 2018
Observation date: Jul 28, 2018
Submitted by: satchmo0802
Region: Kings County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 03, 2018
Observation date: Jul 30, 2018
Submitted by: Reiner Jakubowski
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 03, 2018
Observation date: Aug 01, 2018
Submitted by: BrandonH
Region: Venango County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 02, 2018
Observation date: Aug 01, 2018
Submitted by: BrandonH
Region: Venango County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 02, 2018
Observation date: Aug 01, 2018
Submitted by: BrandonH
Region: Venango County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 02, 2018
Observation date: Jul 31, 2018
Submitted by: Bluefox122
Region: Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 01, 2018
Observation date: Jul 25, 2018
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: Jul 29, 2018
Observation date: Jul 25, 2018
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: Jul 29, 2018
Observation date: Jul 27, 2018
Submitted by: nrpeters
Region: Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 29, 2018
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