Wild indigo duskywing
Erynnis baptisiae
Butterfly
The wild indigo duskywing is a brown skipper whose larvae use wild indigos and related legumes, especially Baptisia. Caterpillars fold or tie host leaves into shelters and pupal nests, so tidy removal of host foliage can remove the insect as surely as pesticide. It is also one of the species that has adapted to some introduced legumes, but native Baptisia patches remain the most useful garden-facing host.
Plants in the catalog
Larval host plants · 1
NC State documents wild indigo duskywing (Erynnis baptisiae) as a Baptisia-associated larval host on blue false indigo.
Range
Eastern and central North America, especially where wild indigo, lupine, crown-vetch, or other usable legume host patches occur.
Sources & citations
Cite this page
Use this citation for the Plotwright wildlife record. Use the source cards below to explore the references that informed its taxonomy, range, conservation, host plants, foraging, and habitat.
Plotwright. (n.d.). Wild indigo duskywing (Erynnis baptisiae). Retrieved 2026, August 20, from https://plotwright.com/wildlife/erynnis-baptisiae
Sources used for this record
This record is compiled from the sources below.
BAMONA: Wild Indigo Duskywing Erynnis baptisiae
Species profile used for range, host plants, and lifecycle context.
BugGuide: Erynnis baptisiae
Identification and host-plant cross-check for wild indigo duskywing.
GBIF: Erynnis baptisiae
GBIF returns an exact accepted species match for Erynnis baptisiae at key 5977220 in family Hesperiidae.
iNaturalist: Erynnis baptisiae
iNaturalist taxon 58478 is the species Erynnis baptisiae, the wild indigo duskywing.