• Butterflies
• Dragonflies
• Damselflies
• Tiger beetles
• Hike with Mike

• The butterflies:
• Skippers
  • Spread-wing Skippers
  • Skipperlings
  • Grass-Skippers
• Spread-wing Skippers
  • Silver-spotted Skipper
  • Hoary Edge
  • Southern Cloudywing
  • Northern Cloudywing
  • Hayhurst’s Scallopwing
  • Dreamy Duskywing
  • Sleepy Duskywing
  • Juvenal’s Duskywing
  • Horace’s Duskywing
  • Mottled Duskywing
  • Funereal Duskywing
  • Columbine Duskywing
  • Wild Indigo Duskywing
  • Persius Duskywing
  • Common Checkered-Skipper
  • Common Sootywing

Persius Duskywing

(Erynnis persius)

The Persius Duskywing is listed as a species of special concern in Wisconsin. Its larval host plant in Wisconsin is Lupine and because of that, it is found in many of the same habitats as the Karner Blue. I live in Waushara County and although we have many Karner Blue sites, I had not seen this species until I saw them in Jackson County in 2004. I have made numerous trips to Jackson County in May, hoping to find my first Frosted Elfin, but although I haven’t seen my first Frosted Elfin, I have seen my first Cobweb Skipper, Hoary Elfin, and many Persius Duskywings. On May 21, 2005, I saw two groups of Persius Duskywings searching for minerals along the roadside edges, where Lupine grew. One such group was along a very well used ATV trail, where I was a little concerned for my safety, but the Persius Duskywings appeared to be oblivious to the string of all terrain vehicles zooming by. The fifth photo down was a photo of four of these butterflies that I took at this location. Several Juvenal’s Duskywing and Sleepy Duskywing joined them at these locations.

Identifying characteristics: The Persius Duskywing is a small, dark brown or black skipper that has four small white hyaline spots on the leading edge of the upper forewing that are arranged in a straight row, that is, not offset like other Wisconsin Duskywings. In addition there is usually a single small white spot near the middle of the wing. The male has many white hairs throughout the upper forewing as shown in the close-up in the third photo. Females lack these hairs and appear much browner with a nearly continuous band through the middle of the wing. The hind wings are very similar to the other Duskywings with two rows of light spots.

Similar species: This species is most like the Wild Indigo Duskywing and the Columbine Duskywing. It differs from both by having the white spots on the forewing arranged in a straight row. The males of the Columbine and Wild Indigo Duskywings do not have white hairs on the upper forewing as does the Persius Duskywing. The Wisconsin DNR says this about this species, “Sending a specimen to a lepidopterist for microscopic examination is the only way to reliably separate the Persius, Wild Indigo, and Columbine Duskywings.” I think that it may be true for the Wild Indigo and Columbine Duskywings because as of right now, I am not 100% sure that some of my Wild Indigo Duskywing photos are not actually photos of Columbine Duskywings. After watching and seeing Persius Duskywings for two seasons, I find them the easiest resident Duskywing to identify in central Wisconsin

Habitat: Pine/oak barrens where the larval host plant Lupine grows.

Flight: A single brood flies from May to early June.

Abundance: I found this species to be more abundant than the other Duskywings in central Wisconsin. At the height of their flight season, I easily saw more than 20 in a day.

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