Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
July's Featured Wisconsin Endangered Species: Poweshiek Skipperling
The Poweshiek Skipperling (Oarisma poweshiek) is a kind of butterfly called a skipper because of its quick darting flight, and is named after Chief Poweshiek, a Fox tribe Indian who signed the treaty ending the Black Hawk War. It flies from mid June to July and peaks the first two weeks of July, which is why I chose to feature it in July!
Unlike the other Wisconsin endangered species I’ve featured, this one’s habitat, tall grass prairie, has been destroyed since the 1850s. Over 99% of its habitat is now gone, because of conversion to agricultural land, grazing, haying, and more recently, invasive weeds and poor habitat management.
1. I’ll begin by saying how incredible beautiful tall grass prairies are – they are the oceans of the Midwest! Their beauty is poignantly enhanced by their rarity. Look at this website to see some lovely, vivid photos of the Poweshiek Skipperling http://wisconsinbutterflies.org/butterfly/species/131-poweshiek-skipperling (my poster is based on the first one of these), and see one person’s brief account of their search for this butterfly. Also see these lovely photos of the Poweshiek and their habitat
http://www.naba.org/pubs/ab164/ab164Poweshiek_Paradise_Lost.pdf
2. Since so much of the Poweshiek Skipperling’s habitat is already destroyed, the challenge is to manage its existing habitat wisely.
See Ann Swengel’s incredibly intelligent, careful observations and insightful ideas in her North American Butterfly Association journal in depth article http://www.naba.org/pubs/ab164/ab164Poweshiek_Paradise_Lost.pdf (an excerpt can be found on the Madison Sierra Club’s website www.wisconsin.sierraclub.org, their April-June 2009 newsletter) about the mystery of the Poweshiek Skipperling’s decline. Here, she challenges the accepted idea that fire management is the only way to manage tall grass prairies. For this species and other vulnerable species it is in fact harmful. The Poweshiek is most abundant when nothing is done, though when its prairie is becoming brushy and weedy, it’s best to use localized treatments like mowing, brush-cutting and spot herbicide treatments. She makes the argument that using different management techniques protects diversity. There is no one size fits all management strategy that will benefit all species, because of the complexity of this ecosystem. It’s best to look to the rarest, most vulnerable species, and manage to suit their needs.
From the WI DNR’s new Endangered Resources website http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/biodiversity/index.asp?mode=info&Grp=9&SpecCode=IILEP57010 , you can find out that Poweshiek’s population fluctuates greatly, so they are particularly vulnerable to any external forces that could further lower their numbers. The WI DNR recommends expanding their habitat, creating habitat corridors, and using fire management with care.
This website http://www.xerces.org/powesheik-skipperling/ suggests only burning habitat infrequently and part of the habitat at a time – to protect Poweshieks and keep their home prairie and Poweshiek friendly!
3. Where can you find the Poweshiek Skipperling In Wisconsin? They live in Kettle Moraine Low Prairie in Waukesha County http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/sna/sna88.htm and in the Puchyan Prairie in Green Lake County http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/LAND/er/sna/sna172.htm . Go to these websites to donate and find more info. These lands are wet mesic prairies (Poweshieks are also found in adjacent dry prairies with the plants they favor) with native grasses, sedges and many plants in the sunflower family.
4. Given a butterflies unique lifecycle, what plants to they need in these prairies to survive? The larvae feed on prairie dropseed and little bluestem, which is unique to their WI habitat. Adults feed on coneflowers and black-eyed susan.
Check out this lovely photo http://www.dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/biodiversity/index.asp?mode=photoview&Grp=9&SpecCode=IILEP57010&PhotoNum=13522 .
5. Go here to see all the different kinds of butterflies (100 plus!) that can be found in Wisconsin, along with their range, habitat, flight time and conservation status http://www.entomology.wisc.edu/wes/pubs/bflylist.html Go to this website http://www.uwm.edu/People/rn/nativewisconsinbutterflies.htm#Skippers for an understanding of what’s in WI and how they’re classified, along with some lovely photos. For example, our butterfly is a Skipper, so it’s in the family Hesperiidae, and because it’s a Grass Skipper, it’s in the subfamily Hesperiinae.
6. And these websites give you a wider, North American (or Midwestern, since tall grass prairies only exist here, though there is a small population in Manitoba) perspective of Poweshieks. http://www.xerces.org/powesheik-skipperling/ . This website has great info about the history of tallgrass prairies, the Poweshiek’s conservation status, description and taxonomy, life history, distribution, threats and conservation needs. Donate to this very worthy organization!
Nature Serve has similar information
http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?sourceTemplate=tabular_report.wmt&loadTemplate=species_RptComprehensive.wmt&selectedReport=RptComprehensive.wmt&summaryView=tabular_report.wmt&elKey=116340&paging=home&save=true&startIndex=1&nextStartIndex=1&reset=false&offPageSelectedElKey=116340&offPageSelectedElType=species&offPageYesNo=true&post_processes=&radiobutton=radiobutton&selectedIndexes=116340 on threats, conservation needs, life history, and conservation status, but is a more scientifically expressed version of the xerxes entry.
See information about butterflies and moths (there are far more kinds of moths than butterflies, did you know) of North America here http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species?l=2059 as well as some specifics about the Poweshiek. You’ll find photos, maps, classification, identification, life history, flight times, wing span, caterpillar and adult food, habitat, range, conservation status and management needs. You can donate to help them with their mission!
8. How can you help save the Poweshiek Skipperling and other butterflies? By good habitat management, on your land and on theirs! As Ann Swengel advises in her Paradise Lost article, when you’re in Poweshiek habitat, or any other endangered species habitat, observe, analyze, advocate – this is how she reached her heretical conclusion in management circles that fire can be harmful to Poweshiek’s and other rare species.
Manage them well on your own land, as is detailed in this website http://www.uwm.edu/People/rn/butterflyattraction.htm which describes how you can make butterfly habitat in your garden – you’ll need host plants for caterpillars, nectar plants for butterflies, water, shelter, a place to bask – and you must not use insecticides!
Be a conservationist everyday, in your own life, as tourist, landowner, voter and conversationalist! Help save the Poweshiek Skipperling and the natural world!
Unlike the other Wisconsin endangered species I’ve featured, this one’s habitat, tall grass prairie, has been destroyed since the 1850s. Over 99% of its habitat is now gone, because of conversion to agricultural land, grazing, haying, and more recently, invasive weeds and poor habitat management.
1. I’ll begin by saying how incredible beautiful tall grass prairies are – they are the oceans of the Midwest! Their beauty is poignantly enhanced by their rarity. Look at this website to see some lovely, vivid photos of the Poweshiek Skipperling http://wisconsinbutterflies.org/butterfly/species/131-poweshiek-skipperling (my poster is based on the first one of these), and see one person’s brief account of their search for this butterfly. Also see these lovely photos of the Poweshiek and their habitat
http://www.naba.org/pubs/ab164/ab164Poweshiek_Paradise_Lost.pdf
2. Since so much of the Poweshiek Skipperling’s habitat is already destroyed, the challenge is to manage its existing habitat wisely.
See Ann Swengel’s incredibly intelligent, careful observations and insightful ideas in her North American Butterfly Association journal in depth article http://www.naba.org/pubs/ab164/ab164Poweshiek_Paradise_Lost.pdf (an excerpt can be found on the Madison Sierra Club’s website www.wisconsin.sierraclub.org, their April-June 2009 newsletter) about the mystery of the Poweshiek Skipperling’s decline. Here, she challenges the accepted idea that fire management is the only way to manage tall grass prairies. For this species and other vulnerable species it is in fact harmful. The Poweshiek is most abundant when nothing is done, though when its prairie is becoming brushy and weedy, it’s best to use localized treatments like mowing, brush-cutting and spot herbicide treatments. She makes the argument that using different management techniques protects diversity. There is no one size fits all management strategy that will benefit all species, because of the complexity of this ecosystem. It’s best to look to the rarest, most vulnerable species, and manage to suit their needs.
From the WI DNR’s new Endangered Resources website http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/biodiversity/index.asp?mode=info&Grp=9&SpecCode=IILEP57010 , you can find out that Poweshiek’s population fluctuates greatly, so they are particularly vulnerable to any external forces that could further lower their numbers. The WI DNR recommends expanding their habitat, creating habitat corridors, and using fire management with care.
This website http://www.xerces.org/powesheik-skipperling/ suggests only burning habitat infrequently and part of the habitat at a time – to protect Poweshieks and keep their home prairie and Poweshiek friendly!
3. Where can you find the Poweshiek Skipperling In Wisconsin? They live in Kettle Moraine Low Prairie in Waukesha County http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/sna/sna88.htm and in the Puchyan Prairie in Green Lake County http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/LAND/er/sna/sna172.htm . Go to these websites to donate and find more info. These lands are wet mesic prairies (Poweshieks are also found in adjacent dry prairies with the plants they favor) with native grasses, sedges and many plants in the sunflower family.
4. Given a butterflies unique lifecycle, what plants to they need in these prairies to survive? The larvae feed on prairie dropseed and little bluestem, which is unique to their WI habitat. Adults feed on coneflowers and black-eyed susan.
Check out this lovely photo http://www.dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/biodiversity/index.asp?mode=photoview&Grp=9&SpecCode=IILEP57010&PhotoNum=13522 .
5. Go here to see all the different kinds of butterflies (100 plus!) that can be found in Wisconsin, along with their range, habitat, flight time and conservation status http://www.entomology.wisc.edu/wes/pubs/bflylist.html Go to this website http://www.uwm.edu/People/rn/nativewisconsinbutterflies.htm#Skippers for an understanding of what’s in WI and how they’re classified, along with some lovely photos. For example, our butterfly is a Skipper, so it’s in the family Hesperiidae, and because it’s a Grass Skipper, it’s in the subfamily Hesperiinae.
6. And these websites give you a wider, North American (or Midwestern, since tall grass prairies only exist here, though there is a small population in Manitoba) perspective of Poweshieks. http://www.xerces.org/powesheik-skipperling/ . This website has great info about the history of tallgrass prairies, the Poweshiek’s conservation status, description and taxonomy, life history, distribution, threats and conservation needs. Donate to this very worthy organization!
Nature Serve has similar information
http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?sourceTemplate=tabular_report.wmt&loadTemplate=species_RptComprehensive.wmt&selectedReport=RptComprehensive.wmt&summaryView=tabular_report.wmt&elKey=116340&paging=home&save=true&startIndex=1&nextStartIndex=1&reset=false&offPageSelectedElKey=116340&offPageSelectedElType=species&offPageYesNo=true&post_processes=&radiobutton=radiobutton&selectedIndexes=116340 on threats, conservation needs, life history, and conservation status, but is a more scientifically expressed version of the xerxes entry.
See information about butterflies and moths (there are far more kinds of moths than butterflies, did you know) of North America here http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species?l=2059 as well as some specifics about the Poweshiek. You’ll find photos, maps, classification, identification, life history, flight times, wing span, caterpillar and adult food, habitat, range, conservation status and management needs. You can donate to help them with their mission!
8. How can you help save the Poweshiek Skipperling and other butterflies? By good habitat management, on your land and on theirs! As Ann Swengel advises in her Paradise Lost article, when you’re in Poweshiek habitat, or any other endangered species habitat, observe, analyze, advocate – this is how she reached her heretical conclusion in management circles that fire can be harmful to Poweshiek’s and other rare species.
Manage them well on your own land, as is detailed in this website http://www.uwm.edu/People/rn/butterflyattraction.htm which describes how you can make butterfly habitat in your garden – you’ll need host plants for caterpillars, nectar plants for butterflies, water, shelter, a place to bask – and you must not use insecticides!
Be a conservationist everyday, in your own life, as tourist, landowner, voter and conversationalist! Help save the Poweshiek Skipperling and the natural world!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
