Dusted Skipper

Endemic from the Rocky Mountains to the East Coast of the United States.

WSU Vancouver

June 10, 2022

Geography

Range Map

Dusted skippers (Atrytonopsis hiana) occur sparsely throughout most of their range. There are two populations separated from the main range.

More information about their occurrence in the Plains States is needed.

In Central Florida, there is a population of skippers that is now considered to be a separate species.

Study Area

Our study site is in Lake County, Indiana

Our data comes from the Illinois Butterfly Monitoring Network which surveys butterfly communities at multiple sites each year.

Natural History

Species interactions

Host Plant

Caterpillars feed on little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) and big bluestem (Andropogon geradii).

Nectar Plants

Adults are nectar generalists, often observed feeding on shrubs and berry plants.

Leave the litter

Mowing or grazing could be harmful to overwintering caterpillars. Upright grass stems could be important for the life cycle of these skippers, especially in wet areas.

Habitat

These skippers can be found in grasslands, prairies, barrens and old fields. Their host plant, big bluestem, can be found in a wide variety of habitats and was once the dominant grass throughout the tallgrass prairies of Indiana and Illinois.

Population Dynamics

Fragmentation of grasslands throughout the United States has lead to the formation of metapopulation networks in most areas. The degree to which this skipper existed in metapopulations prior to European colonization is unknown.
Decline is estimated to be 50-70% in the long term, but populations are thought to be relatively stable, as many habitats are protected or under consistent land management.
Populations east of the Appalachian mountains have adapted to anthropogenic habitats.
Mark-recapture studies may be needed to document population sizes due to the high frequency of small (<30 skippers) patches near one another. This type of population structure often sees frequent immigration/emigration between patches.

Life Cycle

Adult

Adults fly in May and June in Indiana. They produce one brood (univoltine) throughout their range.

Eggs

Eggs are laid singly underneath leaves of their host plant.

Caterpillars

Caterpillars overwinter, fully grown, in a nest of leaves and silk on a grass stem well above the ground. They enter their chrysalis without leaving the nest early in spring.

Chrysalis

Chrysalises are attached to grass stems in the early spring, and adults emerge and climb up the stem to dry their wings.

Conservation

Listing Status

The dusted skipper is listed as apparently secure globally , but it is vulnerable in much of the range.

Recovery Efforts

Site Management

There are currently no targeted conservation actions for the dusted skipper, but the site preserve we evaluated in Indiana is managed yearly. Management methods include selective application of herbicides, mowing, and prescribed fire. The reentrance of invasive species is a continual, ongoing issue that needs to be addressed regularly for the maintenance of this type of habitat.

Prior to any management of this site - which began in the 1990s - it was fire suppressed, densely covered with black oaks, and overgrown with shrubs and invasive species. Today, this dune and swale habitat has been largely restored. Continued management is expected to benefit dusted skipper populations.

Population Trends

Our one site for dusted skippers had a small delay in phenology, and a small increase in activity index.