''Erynnis baptisiae'', the wild indigo duskywing, is a

butterfly Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...

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 ...

. It is found in North America from southern

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...

and southern

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

west to central

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...

, south to

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, the

Gulf Coast The Gulf Coast of the United States, also known as the Gulf South, is the coastline along the Southern United States where they meet the Gulf of Mexico. The coastal states that have a shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico are Texas, Louisiana, Mississ ...

, and south-central

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

. The species is rapidly expanding its range and abundance by colonizing plantings of

crown vetch ''Securigera varia'' (Synonym (taxonomy), synonym ''Coronilla varia''), commonly known as crownvetch or purple crown vetch, is a low-growing legume vine. It is native to Africa, Asia and Europe and is commonly used throughout the United States an ...

along roadways and railroad beds. ''

Erynnis lucilius ''Erynnis lucilius'', the columbine duskywing, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in North America from southern Quebec to Manitoba and south to the northeastern United States.Erynnis persius ''Erynnis persius'', the Persius duskywing, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae that occurs in North America. It is a threatened species in Michigan and is protected by law. The subspecies ''Erynnis persius persius'' is listed as endangered ...

'' belong to the "Persius species complex", a confusing group of very similar species. The

wingspan The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingspan of ...

is 35–41 mm. Adults are on wing from late April to early June and again from July to August. There are two generations per year. Wild indigo duskywing (Erynnis baptisiae)

Wild indigo duskywing (Erynnis baptisiae)

The larvae mainly feed on ''

Baptisia tinctoria ''Baptisia tinctoria'' (common names include yellow false indigo, wild indigo, wild-indigo and horseflyweed) is a herbaceous perennial plant in the family Fabaceae. It is native to eastern North America. Distribution and habitat ''Baptisia tinc ...

'', but have also been recorded on ''

Baptisia australis ''Baptisia australis'', commonly known as blue wild indigo or blue false indigo, is a flowering plant in the family Fabaceae (legumes). It is a perennial herb native to much of central and eastern North America and is particularly common in the M ...

'', ''

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 ...

'', ''

Thermopsis villosa ''Thermopsis villosa'', commonly referred to as Aaron's rod, Carolina lupine, or Carolina lupin, is an herbaceous plant in the legume family. Its native range is in North America, in the southern Appalachian mountains The Appalachian Mountai ...

'' and ''

Coronilla varia ''Securigera varia'' ( synonym ''Coronilla varia''), commonly known as crownvetch or purple crown vetch, is a low-growing legume vine. It is native to Africa, Asia and Europe and is commonly used throughout the United States and Canada for eros ...

''. Adults feed on nectar from flowers of blackberry, white sweet clover, dogbane, sunflower, crimson clover and probably others.

References

External links

Butterflies and Moths of North AmericaBugGuide
Erynnis Butterflies described in 1936 Taxa named by William Trowbridge Merrifield Forbes {{Pyrginae-stub