Butterfly

I recently read a study about the Dakota skipper. The Dakota skipper is a small butterfly, with a wingspan of around one inch. Coloration is variable between the sexes with the upper wing surface of males a towny-orange to brown while females are a darker brown and spotted. The underside of males is dusty yellow-orange and females gray-brown with spots.

The Dakota Skipper butterfly lives in tall-grass prairie, and is found mostly in Illinois, Minnesota, the Dakotas, and southern Canada. The species is currently considered “threatened,” as its natural habitat continues to change. Ben South, supervisor at the Dakota Prairie Grasslands, is studying how the Grasslands can be returned to a state that allows these butterflies to thrive.