''Erynnis persius'', the Persius duskywing, is a butterfly of the family

Hesperiidae Skippers are a family of the Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) named the Hesperiidae. Being diurnal, they are generally called butterflies. They were previously placed in a separate superfamily, Hesperioidea; however, the most recent taxonomy ...

that occurs in North America. It is a

threatened species Threatened species are any species (including animals, plants and fungi) which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future. Species that are threatened are sometimes characterised by the population dynamics measure of ''critical depensa ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

and is protected by law. The subspecies ''Erynnis persius persius'' is listed as endangered in the

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

by state authorities.

Description

The upperside of both the forewings and hindwings are a dark brown color. The forewing has clear spots with other dim markings and the patch at the end of the cell is gray. Males have raised white hairs on their forewings. The hindwings are fringed with darker brown to black and have another fringe that is creamy white. Females have a

scent scale The external morphology of Lepidoptera is the morphology (biology), physiological structure of the bodies of insects belonging to the order Lepidoptera, also known as butterfly, butterflies and moths. Lepidoptera are distinguished f ...

patch on their 7th abdominal segment. Caterpillars of this species are light green with a reddish cast and covered with fine, short hairs. Their head is all brownish black. Caterpillar hosts include Lupine (''

Lupinus ''Lupinus'', commonly known as lupin, lupine, or regionally bluebonnet etc., is a genus of plants in the legume family Fabaceae. The genus includes over 199 species, with centers of diversity in North and South America. Smaller centers occur ...

''), golden banner (''

Thermopsis ''Thermopsis'' is a genus of legumes, native to temperate North America and east Asia. They are herbaceous perennials and are known as goldenbanners or false-lupines. Species ''Thermopsis'' comprises the following species: * '' Thermopsis alpi ...

''), ''Lotus'', and other legumes. Adults feed on flower nectar. The larval form of subspecies ''E. persius persius'' is dependent on the wild blue lupine, ''

Lupinus perennis ''Lupinus perennis'' (also wild perennial lupine, wild lupine, sundial lupine, blue lupine, Indian beet, or old maid's bonnets) is a flowering plant in the family Fabaceae. It is widespread in the eastern part of the USA (from Texas and Florid ...

'', as a host plant.

References

Erynnis Butterflies of North America Butterflies described in 1863 {{Pyrginae-stub