Dakota Skipper
Hesperia dacotae (Skinner, 1911)
Family: Hesperiidae
Subfamily: Hesperiinae
Identification: Forewings are stubby. Upperside is golden-orange with blurry dark markings; stigma of male forewing has black felt inside it; forewing of female has a white transparent spot below the end of the cell. Underside of the hindwing is yellow-orange in the male, brown-gray in the female; both with or without a faint band of spots.
Wing Span: 1 - 1 3/8 inches (2.5 - 3.5 cm).
Life History: Adults have a low, fast flight. Mating occurs on the first day of emergence, with males perching on low vegetation to watch for receptive females. Eggs are laid singly on broad-leaved plants, and the caterpillars must climb down into the grasses. Caterpillars eat grass leaves at night and make shelters of silken tubes lined with grass. Fourth-stage caterpillars overwinter in shelters that are partially underground.
Flight: One brood from mid-June to early August.
Caterpillar Hosts: Little bluestem (Andropogon scoparius), bluegrass (Poa pratensis), and panic grass (Panicum).
Adult Food: Nectar from a variety of flowers including prairie coneflower, purple coneflower, blanket flower, fleabane, black-eyed susans, ox-eye daisy, and harebell.
Habitat: Rolling hills of native tall-grass prairie.
Range: Southern Manitoba and western North Dakota to western Minnesota, south to northwest Iowa.
Conservation: Conversion of tall-grass prairie to agricultural use has eliminated most of the habitat of the Dakota Skipper, especially in Iowa. All populations should be protected.
NCGR: 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).
Management Needs: Care should be taken not to extirpate populations through the use of fire as a management tool.
Comments: NULL
Get your BAMONA Gear!
Please donate!
We depend on donations to keep Butterflies and Moths of North America freely available. We want to express our gratitude to all who showed their support by making a contribution this year. You can donate to support this project at any time.
Advertise with us!
Do you have a product or service that you think would interest BAMONA users? If you would like to advertise on this website, contact us by email, or use the contact form and select the "Advertising" category.
Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 52 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 02, 2024
Submitted by: dvollmar
Region: McHenry County, North Dakota, United States
Verified by: stevekohler
Verified date: Sep 20, 2024
Observation date: Jun 30, 2016
Submitted by: logan@hwa-wildl...
Region: McKenzie County, North Dakota, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Sep 04, 2021
Observation date: Jul 01, 2021
Submitted by: storolaf
Region: Roberts County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jul 11, 2021
Observation date: Jul 02, 2021
Submitted by: storolaf
Region: Roberts County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jul 11, 2021
Observation date: Jun 30, 2021
Submitted by: storolaf
Region: Day County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jul 01, 2021
Observation date: Jul 09, 2018
Submitted by: storolaf
Region: Roberts County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Dec 19, 2018
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: BAMONA
Region:
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Sep 06, 2010
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Deuel County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Poweshiek County, Iowa, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Murray County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Rolette County, North Dakota, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Oliver County, North Dakota, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Billings County, North Dakota, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Moody County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Chippewa County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Polk County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Sargent County, North Dakota, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Stutsman County, North Dakota, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Marshall County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Grant County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Lac Qui Parle County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Burke County, North Dakota, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: McHenry County, North Dakota, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Wells County, North Dakota, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
- 1 of 3
- next ›