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 193 - 216 of 3020 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 31, 2020
Submitted by: jwdawson2020
Region: Tompkins County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Mar 03, 2022
Observation date: Sep 04, 2018
Submitted by: Jim Lowe
Region: Tompkins County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Mar 03, 2022
Observation date: Jun 26, 2016
Submitted by: elkeno
Region: New York County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Mar 01, 2022
Observation date: Jul 05, 2021
Submitted by: AV-Photo1
Region: Suffolk County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Mar 01, 2022
Observation date: Jul 15, 2017
Submitted by: the meowking
Region: Kings County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Feb 28, 2022
Observation date: Aug 17, 2019
Submitted by: jmacmetro
Region: Bergen County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Feb 05, 2022
Observation date: Aug 12, 2018
Submitted by: oakleyer
Region: District of Columbia, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Feb 05, 2022
Observation date: May 24, 2021
Submitted by: jigamaree
Region: Houston County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Jan 25, 2022
Observation date: Jul 05, 2021
Submitted by: mbroen
Region: Pierce County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Jan 25, 2022
Observation date: Jul 05, 2021
Submitted by: mbroen
Region: Pierce County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Jan 25, 2022
Observation date: Jul 26, 2017
Submitted by: kyhutch
Region: Fayette County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jan 05, 2022
Observation date: Jun 06, 2019
Submitted by: reupurtbones
Region: Warren County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jan 03, 2022
Observation date: Sep 20, 2019
Submitted by: Shawnann74
Region: Oldham County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jan 02, 2022
Observation date: Apr 21, 2017
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Madison County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Nov 27, 2021
Observation date: Jul 23, 2017
Submitted by: grayhairstreak
Region: New Castle County, Delaware, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 09, 2021
Observation date: Aug 09, 2016
Submitted by: Cekeys
Region: Montgomery County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 09, 2021
Observation date: Apr 29, 2017
Submitted by: Jared Satchell
Region: Washington County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 08, 2021
Observation date: Aug 11, 2017
Submitted by: Dave Webb
Region: Cecil County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 06, 2021
Observation date: Jul 13, 2019
Submitted by: LadyAshleyR
Region: Garrett County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 02, 2021
Observation date: Aug 31, 2020
Submitted by: kansaskid
Region: Johnson County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: azukoff
Verified date: Nov 01, 2021
Observation date: Jul 22, 2019
Submitted by: WINGSaloftinKS
Region: Douglas County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: azukoff
Verified date: Nov 01, 2021
Observation date: Sep 09, 2019
Submitted by: Marquy275
Region: Wayne County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 28, 2021
Observation date: Sep 16, 2020
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Lenawee County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 28, 2021
Observation date: Jul 12, 2020
Submitted by: grayhairstreak
Region: New Castle County, Delaware, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 26, 2021
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