I submitted this as “Horace’s Duskywing” (Erynnis horatius) to Butterflies and Moths of North America. I have posted that skipper three times before, but this specimen came back ID’ed as “Wild Indigo Duskywing” (Erynnis baptisiae), which I haven’t [knowingly] encountered before.
There are so many skippers. Worse, “Many species of skippers look very alike. For example, some species in the genera Amblyscirtes, Erynnis (duskywings), and Hesperia (branded skippers) cannot currently be distinguished in the field even by experts. The only reliable method of telling them apart involves dissection and microscopic examination of the genitalia, which have characteristic structures that prevent mating except between conspecifics” (Wikipedia). TMI?
My coordinator at Butterflies and Moths of North America has written me, “some authors refer to butterflies and skippers as if they were two separate groups and sometimes I wish they were and we could all take steps to retaining our sanity by ignoring the skippers :)”
» ID’ed as Erynnis baptisiae or “Wild Indigo Duskywing” at: [ BAMONA ]
» Submitted to [ BugGuide ]
» Erynnis baptisiae pages: [ BAMONA ] [ BugGuide ] [ UK Butterflies ]
Retired economics professor (“dismal scientist”). Married 40+ years to the love of my life; we have two grown daughters, both married, two granddaughters and a...
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