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 505 - 528 of 3022 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 09, 2018
Submitted by: BrandonH
Region: Venango County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 10, 2018
Observation date: Jul 09, 2018
Submitted by: BrandonH
Region: Venango County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 10, 2018
Observation date: Jun 13, 2018
Submitted by: Justme
Region: Butler County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 09, 2018
Observation date: Jul 07, 2018
Submitted by: Jeanne9953
Region: Westchester County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 08, 2018
Observation date: Jul 06, 2018
Submitted by: beastbreath
Region: Ingham County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 06, 2018
Observation date: Jul 01, 2018
Submitted by: nrpeters
Region: Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 06, 2018
Observation date: Jul 01, 2018
Submitted by: nrpeters
Region: Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 06, 2018
Observation date: Jul 03, 2018
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Ingham County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 05, 2018
Observation date: Aug 31, 2017
Submitted by: cindilou713
Region: Wayne County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 02, 2018
Observation date: Jun 25, 2018
Submitted by: Bkripto
Region: Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 29, 2018
Observation date: Jun 25, 2018
Submitted by: Bkripto
Region: Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 29, 2018
Observation date: Jun 16, 2018
Submitted by: seemayer
Region: Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jun 27, 2018
Observation date: May 26, 2018
Submitted by: Cameala
Region: Juniata County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 09, 2018
Observation date: Jun 04, 2018
Submitted by: BrandonH
Region: Venango County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 06, 2018
Observation date: May 30, 2018
Submitted by: BrandonH
Region: Venango County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 01, 2018
Observation date: May 22, 2018
Submitted by: wallap74
Region: Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 28, 2018
Observation date: May 19, 2018
Submitted by: BrandonH
Region: Mercer County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 20, 2018
Observation date: May 12, 2018
Submitted by: Cameala
Region: Juniata County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 18, 2018
Observation date: May 07, 2018
Submitted by: BrandonH
Region: Venango County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 18, 2018
Observation date: May 07, 2018
Submitted by: BrandonH
Region: Venango County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 18, 2018
Observation date: Aug 19, 2017
Submitted by: Mark Plessner
Region: Wood County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Apr 04, 2018
Observation date: Sep 06, 2017
Submitted by: tjrickert
Region: Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Feb 18, 2018
Observation date: Sep 11, 2015
Submitted by: whbauer
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jan 18, 2018
Observation date: May 15, 2017
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Dec 29, 2017
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