Summary

Description

The goal of this study was to inventory butterflies and skippers on a number of wetland prairie sites in southeastern North Dakota, and pinpoint the location and abundance of the Dakota Skipper Hesperia dacotae, Powesheik Skipper Oarisma powesheik, Regal Fritillary Speyeria idalia, and other rare butterflies. The sites inventoried are under the control of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in three counties: Ransom, Richland, and Sargent. Surveys in 1997 began on 29 June and concluded on 10 July. As in the 19931996 North Dakota surveys, survey technique entailed walking transects of sites and recording the presence of species by quarter section, and exact locations of rare species. As in the 1996 surveys, the most significant finding in this survey is that four of the eight habitatrestricted butterfly and skipper species identified as rare in North and South Dakota are present on the prairies south of Stacks Slough Waterfowl Production Area. This report will document the results of the survey, with sites grouped into 5 areas, and detail sightings of rare species.