Species Erynnis persius - Persius Duskywing - Hodges#3961

3961

Erynnis persius (Scudder, 1863)

WS ≈ 29–42mm  a

FWL ≈ 11-15mm b

Adult: Upperside is brown-black. FW has few clear dots and very dim markings; patch at end of FW cell is grayish. Male FW has many raised white hairs. HW fringes are dark. Male has a costal fold containing yellow scent scales; female has a patch of scent scales on the 7th abdominal segment. a

Open areas including mountain grasslands, marshes, sand plains, seeps and stream sides. a

One brood from April-June.

Adult: Flower nectar.

Larva: Preferred host plant: Lupinus perennis, also wild indigo. In the West it feeds on other members of the Fabaceae family

During the day males perch on hilltops to seek females, usually sitting on the ground or on low twigs. Females lay eggs singly under leaves of the host plants. Caterpillars feed on leaves and live in shelters of rolled or tied leaves. Fully-grown caterpillars hibernate. a

The eastern subspecies of the Persius Duskywing is now rare throughout its range primarily because of destruction of the specialized habitat of its larval host plants. b

Erynnis lucilius           Erynnis baptisiae           Erynnis persius

Columbine (E. lucilius), Wild Indigo (E. baptisiae) and Persius (E. persius) Duskywings belong to the "Persius complex," a confusing group of very similar skippers. a