Wild Indigo Duskywing - Alabama Butterfly Atlas

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Duskywing identification is confusing, and Wild Indigos may be the most confusing of all. Noted lepidopterist Rick Cech says, "The task of identifying eastern duskywings would be much simpler if it weren't for this singe butterfly." Factor in that it often shows great individual variation, and it can be confused with almost any of the other duskywing species in the state. Separating it from Zarucco Duskywing is especially challenging; worn individuals may be indistinguishable in the field. For specific information of identifying Wild Indigo Duskywings, click the "Get Identification Help" link above.

Wild Indigo Duskywing's life history is much like that of other duskywings. Males perch around woodland openings or edges on bare twigs about 3-12 feet above the ground as they wait for females. They are highly territorial and fly out to engage various insects who happen to fly by. After the encounter, they return to the same perch. These butterflies have a quick, low flight. When they perch, nectar, or rest, they do so with wings fully spread. Males sip moisture from damp ground. They may be encountered in large puddle clubs, often in the company of other duskywings.

In the 1950's, Crown Vetch was widely planted as a cover crop and road embankment stabilizer. Wild Indigo Duskywings accepted it as their host plant, and their range spread along with the vetch. (For more about Crown Vetch, see "Landscaping Ideas" below). Females lay eggs on or near the new growth of a few native legume species and the introduced Crown Vetch. At least two generations occur, with the first one or two developing directly through to adulthood. Caterpillars construct shelters of rolled leaves tied together with silk. When not feeding, they return to their retreat to hide. The final brood overwinters as final instar larvae, turning light brown and heavily silking together to form shelters. The leaves eventually fall to the ground, and the caterpillars spend the winter in the leaf litter within the shelter. Pupation occurs in early spring.

The Wild Indigo Duskywing range across the eastern United States. They are widespread in Alabama and undoubtably under-reported.

Distribution and Abundance

A dot on the county map indicates that there is at least one documented record of the species within that county. In some cases, a species may be common throughout the county, in others it may be found in only a specific habitat. The High Count information shows the highest numbers recorded for this species as well as when and where they occurred.

The sightings bar graphs depict the timing of flight(s) within each of three geographic regions. Place your cursor on a bar within the graph to see the number of individuals recorded during that period.

The abundance calendar displays the total number of individuals recorded within each week of the month. Both the graphs and the calendar are on based data collection that began in 2000.

The records analyzed here are only a beginning. As more data is collected, these maps and graphs will paint a more accurate picture of distribution and abundance in Alabama. Submit your sightings to albutterflyatlas@gmail.com.

Sightings in the following counties: Baldwin, Bibb, Bullock, Butler, Calhoun, Chilton, Choctaw, Clay, Cleburne, Colbert, Covington, Dallas, DeKalb, Escambia, Hale, Jackson, Jefferson, Lawrence, Marengo, Perry, Russell, Shelby, Sumter, Tuscaloosa

Sightings in the past 5 years
Sightings in the past 5 - 10 years
Sightings more than 10 years ago

High count(s):

26 - Bibb - 6/5/2022
20 - Cleburne - 8/14/2021
10 - Cleburne - 8/16/2021

View county names by moving the mouse over a county or view a map with county names

Jan				Feb				Mar				Apr				May				Jun				Jul				Aug				Sep				Oct				Nov				Dec
1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4
										15	25	19	17	16	4	2	4	7	10	49	34	12	12	13	2	12	28	15	32	23	21	13	16	5	4	6		1

Habitat

Forest edges, old fields, roadside, highway edges and ailroad banks with Crown Vetch plantings, utility right-of-ways.

Host and Nectar Plants

Reports from other states indicate that larvae feed on legumes such as wild indigos (Baptista tinctoria and B. laevicollis), Crown Vetch (Securigera varia) and lupine (Lupinus spp.).

In Alabama, these plants have been documented:

For more information about these plants, please visit the Alabama Plant Atlas using the links above.

Landscaping Ideas

If you have a lawn in your landscape, consider letting it be natural. The diverse assemblage of native and nonnative flowering plants and grasses typically found in naturalized lawns provides nectar and host sources for many small butterflies including Wild Indigo Duskywings.

NOTE: Although Wild Indigo Duskywings readily use Crown Vetch as their caterpillar host, it should never intentionally be introduced to the landscape. This invasive, non-native plant invades natural ecosystems and displaces native plants. It propagation and sale is prohibited in many states.