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 3029 verified sightings
Observation date: May 27, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 28, 2022
Observation date: May 22, 2022
Submitted by: jhdwelly
Region: Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 23, 2022
Observation date: May 21, 2022
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 21, 2022
Observation date: May 18, 2022
Submitted by: jhdwelly
Region: Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 19, 2022
Observation date: May 11, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Montour County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 12, 2022
Observation date: Apr 16, 2022
Submitted by: Mapper
Region: Pope County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Apr 20, 2022
Observation date: Apr 09, 2022
Submitted by: Mapper
Region: Johnson County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Apr 10, 2022
Observation date: Jul 24, 2018
Submitted by: tlwilson1103
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Apr 01, 2022
Observation date: Jul 17, 2021
Submitted by: AV-Photo1
Region: Suffolk County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Mar 03, 2022
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
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