Dakota skipper butterflies rarely travel more than 1/2 mile in their lifetime. Photo © Robert Dana
A Prairie Native At Risk
The Dakota skipper is absent from much of its former range in Minnesota and North and South Dakota and has disappeared altogether from other areas of the midwest. Scientific experts, as well as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have all concluded the species is at great risk and may soon become extinct. The chief cause of the skipper’s decline has been the conversion of native prairie to croplands. Gravel mining, road construction, domestic livestock grazing, herbicide and pesticide use, and the spread of non-native plants have also taken their toll.
Natural History
A tawny-orange to chocolate-brown butterfly with a one-inch wingspan, the Dakota skipper sips 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. They are extremely sensitive to any disturbance and depend on high quality prairie habitat for survival.
Conservation Status
-Candidate Species, Endangered Species Act
-Xerces Society Imperiled Species
Action Taken
We are working with our conservation partners to protect the Dakota skipper and its prairie habitat.
Read More
Petition to List Dakota Skipper as Endangered or Threatened
