Invertebrates
Of the 1.5 million identified species in the world, invertebrates make up a staggering 97%. Lacking an internal skeleton made of bone, invertebrates take on an amazing array of shapes and sizes and inhabit every corner of the globe. These species fill critical niches — they provide food for countless animals higher up on the food chain, pollinate most flowering plants, and recycle dead matter into biologically-usable materials.
Dakota Skipper
The Dakota skipper is a tawny orange to chocolate brown butterfly with a one-inch wingspan. The butterfly historically ranged across prairies throughout the Midwestern United States and south-central Canada. Adult butterflies sip nectar from native prairie wildflowers including coneflowers, wood lilies, harebells, smooth camas, blanketflowers, black eyed susans, and fleabane. The larvae feed on prairie grasses, particularly little bluestem. Like other skippers, they have a faster and more powerful flight than most butterflies. Dakota skipper butterflies rarely travel more than 1/2 mile in their lifetime.
Uncompahgre Fritillary
The Uncompahgre fritillary is the last butterfly species to be discovered in the United States. Intensive collecting, overgrazing by domestic livestock, periods of prolonged drought conditions, mining activity, and an increase in alpine recreation have coincided with a dramatic population decline of the butterfly.