Poweshiek Skipperling (Oarisma poweshiek [Parker])
Wing span: 1 - 1 1/4 inches (2.5 - 3.2 cm).
Identification: Upperside is black; forewing leading edge and veins are orange. Underside of hindwing is pale brown with white veins.
Life history: To seek females, males patrol close to the ground with a rapid flight. Females deposit eggs singly on leaves of the host plants, which the caterpillars eat. Fifth-stage caterpillars hibernate.
Flight: One brood from June-August.
Caterpillar hosts: Spikerush (Eleocharis elliptica).
Adult food: Nectar from flowers including black-eyed susans, purple coneflower, ox-eye daisy, stiff-leaved coreopsis, and white clover.
Habitat: Undisturbed remnants of native tall-grass prairie.
Range: The Dakotas, Minnesota, one site in Iowa, and one site in Michigan.
Conservation: Because little of its habitat remains, this butterfly is in need of protection wherever it is found.
The Nature Conservancy Global Rank: G2 - Imperiled globally because of rarity (6 to 20 occurrences), or because of other factors demonstrably making it very vulnerable to extinction throughout its range. (Endangered throughout its range).
