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General Topics |
Some Butterflies of the Prairies |
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This page contains photographs of and information about some of the common butterflies found in the prairies of the central United States and Canada. |
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The Gray Copper (Lycaenidae) ranges through the southern prairie provinces of Canada southward through Montana and the Dakotas to northern Texas. The species lives in prairie, pastures, and along streams and is probably originally native to the prairies of the region. The larvae feed on species of Dock (Rumex).
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Riding's Satyr (Nymphalidae - Satyrinae) is a distinctive species of the short grass prairie of the western United States and the equivalent regions in the Canadian prairie provinces. The species also occurs in the dry grasslands further west such as Washington, California, and Nevada. The larvae are known to feed on Blue Gramma Grass.
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Uhler's Arctic (Nymphalidae - Satyrinae) is found on the slopes or summits of hills in dry short grass prairie, although it is also known from subalpine regions and even tundra in the far north. The range of the species is concentrated in the short grass prairie regions of the Canadian prairie provinces, Montana, the Dakotas, Wyoming, and as far south as northern New Mexico. Larval foodplants are grasses and sedges.
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The Regal Fritillary (Nymphalidae) is (in our opinion) one of the more beautiful butterfly species in North America. The species lives in long grass prairie, meadows, and marshes. The species' range is now largely concentrated in Montana and the Dakotas and it has largely disappeared from its former haunts in eastern North America probably because of the disappearance of its habitat there.
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The Dakota Skipper (Hesperiidae) is one of a number of species of the genus Hesperia found in the U.S. Midwest and the southern Prairie Provinces of Canada. The very rare Dakota Skipper is restricted to virgin tall grass prairie and has a range nearly restricted to North Dakota, eastern South Dakota, and western Minnesota. All butterflies and skippers restricted to tall grass prairie are in need of conservation.
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The Ottoe Skipper (Hesperiidae) is another rare species of the genus Hesperia restricted to native tall grass prairie. This species has a slightly wider range than the Dakota Skipper occurring in the midwest south to Texas and in isolated populations in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Illinois.
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The Powesheik Skipperling (Hesperiidae) is one of the rarest skipper species in North America with a range restricted to the native long grass prairie of the Dakotas and Western Minnesota. This species is in desparate need of conservation because of the replacement of its native habitat by farmland. The reported larval foodplant is Spikerush, a species of sedge.
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