FWS Focus

Overview

Characteristics
Overview

The Dakota skipper is a small butterfly that lives in high-quality mixed and tallgrass prairie. The species experienced a decline coinciding with the conversion and degradation of its prairie habitat and was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 2014, and critical habitat was designated. The Dakota skipper lost 85 to 99% of its original tallgrass prairie in their historical range that once included Illinois and Iowa and now occurs in remnants of native mixed and tallgrass prairie in Minnesota, the Dakotas and southern Canada. Dakota skippers may survive in areas where lands have some grazing or haying, and in fact, they are dependent on habitat that experiences periodic disturbance; however, Dakota skippers disappear when these disturbances become too intense, as noted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Whatโ€™s being done to conserve Dakota skipper?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service finalized the recovery plan for the Dakota Skipper in 2021. The goal of the Dakota skipper recovery plan is to work with partners to stop the speciesโ€™ decline and ensure its long-term survival. Recovery actions for the Dakota skipper focus on reducing threats to existing populations, such as conserving and enhancing prairie habitat by working with many different stakeholders, including private landowners. The plan also outlines measures to enhance existing populations and establish new ones through captive propagation, such as through the Minnesota Zooโ€™s Prairie Butterfly Conservation Program. Recovery planning is one step in a process to address threats to endangered and threatened species. The plan provides a road map for private, tribal, federal and state cooperation in conserving the Dakota skipper and its habitat.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and states are working with private landowners and other partners in North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota to conserve the Dakota skipperโ€™s native prairie habitat. With cooperation from many landowners, we survey and study Dakota skippers and have entered into cooperative agreements to conserve their native prairie habitat. Conservation of the Dakota skipper depends on land stewardship carried out by private landowners because about 50 percent of all known populations are on private lands; this excludes lands owned by conservation organizations such as The Nature Conservancy. There are many options available for private landowners interested in conserving prairie habitat. Landowners are encouraged to contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to explore these options.

Public land managers use a variety of management tools to conserve native prairie, mainly haying, prescribed fire and grazing. Each presents a significant challenge when trying to conserve Dakota skippers. Land managers and biologists are encouraged to work together using science-based adaptive management to develop and refine strategies that are practical and conserve Dakota skippers.

Finally, research is ongoing to better understand Dakota skippers, such as the species' genetic diversity, and surveys for the species are ongoing to locate populations yet undiscovered.

Scientific Name

Hesperia dacotae
Common Name
Dakota Skipper
FWS Category
Insects
Kingdom

Location in Taxonomic Tree

Identification Numbers

TSN:

Characteristics

Characteristic category

Habitat

Characteristics
Habitat

Dakota skippers live in two types of prairies. One type is moist bluestem prairie in which three wildflower species are usually blooming when Dakota skippers are adults: wood lily (Lilium philadelphicum), harebell (Campanula rotundifolia) and smooth camas (Zygadenus elegans). The second type is upland prairie that is relatively dry and often found on ridges and hillsides. Bluestem grasses and needlegrasses dominate these prairies; purple coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia) is typical of high quality sites that support this skipper, although it also uses other flowers for nectar. Both of these habitat types are unlikely to be re-established on a site that has been plowed. Therefore, activities that maintain the original native grass habitat are fundamental to the speciesโ€™ conservation. according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Grassland

Land on which the natural dominant plant forms are grasses and forbs.

Rural

Environments influenced by humans in a less substantial way than cities. This can include agriculture, silviculture, aquaculture, etc.

Characteristic category

Food

Characteristics
Food

Access to nectar during the flight period is a critical need for adult Dakota skippers. Dakota skippers typically nectar on native flowers found within their prairie habitat.

Dakota skipper larvae, caterpillars, feed on several native grass species, but little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) is a more frequent food source. Little bluestem and other bunchgrasses provide Dakota skipper caterpillars with a large cluster of edible grass as noted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Characteristic category

Behavior

Characteristics
Behavior

Adult male Dakota skippers exhibit perching behavior, perching on tall plants to search for females, but they occasionally appear to patrol in search of mating opportunities, as noted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Characteristic category

Physical Characteristics

Characteristics
Size & Shape

The adult Dakota skipper is a small to medium-sized butterfly with a wingspan of about an inch (2โ€“3 cm) with hooked antennae, as noted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

Color & Pattern

The upper side of the maleโ€™s wing is tawny-orange to brown with a prominent mark on the forewing; the lower surface is dusty yellow-orange.The upper side of the femaleโ€™s wing is darker brown with tawny-orange spots and a few white spots on the forewing margin; the lower side is gray-brown with a faint white spot band across the middle.Dakota skipper pupae are reddish-brown, and the larvae, or  caterpillars, are light brown with a black โ€œcollarโ€ and dark brown head. Young larvae are green with dark head and โ€œcollar," according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Characteristic category

Life Cycle

Characteristics
Life Cycle

Dakota skippers have four basic life stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult. During the brief adult period in June and July, females lay eggs on the underside of leaves. Eggs take about 10 days to hatch into larvae, or caterpillars. After hatching, larvae build shelters at or below the ground surface and emerge at night to feed on grass leaves. This continues until fall when larvae become dormant. They overwinter in shelters at or just below ground level, usually in the base of native bunchgrasses. The following spring, larvae emerge to continue developing. Pupation takes about 10 days and usually happens in June, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Adult males emerge from pupae about five days before females, and the adults live for three weeks, at most. This brief period is the only time that Dakota skippers can reproduce. If a female Dakota skipper lives for the full three weeks and adequate flowers for nectar are available, she may lay up to 250 eggs. Nectar, providing both water and food, is crucial for survival of both sexes during the adult flight period, which often occurs during the hottest part of summer. according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Characteristic category

Similar Species

Characteristics
Similar Species

Adult Dakota skippers may be confused with the Ottoe skipper (H. ottoe), which is somewhat larger with proportionally longer wings, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Geography

Characteristics
Range

Historically, scientists recorded Dakota skippers from northeast Illinois to southern Saskatchewan. However, their actual historical range is not known because extensive destruction of native prairie preceded widespread biological surveys in the central United States. Dakota skippers likely lived throughout the unbroken, vast grasslands of the north-central United States and south-central Canada, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Dakota skippers have been lost from Illinois and Iowa and are present only in scattered, mostly isolated, sites in Minnesota, the Dakotas and southern Canada. Since 2002, the number of sites where Dakota skippers can be found has been on a downward trend with a more dramatic decrease after 2010. Currently, this butterfly may occur at only one quarter of the sites where it was previously recorded, as noted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The most significant populations may be in North Dakota, northeastern South Dakota, western Minnesota and southern Manitoba. Concern is growing about the status of the Dakota skipper in Minnesota and South Dakota.

Launch Interactive Map

Timeline

Explore the information available for this taxon's timeline. You can select an event on the timeline to view more information, or cycle through the content available in the carousel below.

36 Items

Critical Habitat

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Critical Habitat

Listing

4d

Notice

4d

Listing

Critical Habitat

Correction

Five Year Review

Recovery Plan

Five Year Review

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Critical Habitat

Jul 3, 1978

Jul 3, 1978 Critical Habitat
Proposed Endangered or Threatened Status with Critical Habitat For Ten Butterflies or Moths
  • Publication type: Proposed
Item 1

Listing

Jul 3, 1978

Jul 3, 1978 Listing (Threatened)
Proposed Endangered or Threatened Status with Critical Habitat For Ten Butterflies or Moths
  • Publication type: Proposed
Item 2

Listing

May 22, 1984

May 22, 1984 Listing
Review of Invertebrate Wildlife for Listing as Endangered or Threatened Species; 49 FR 21664-21675
  • Publication type: CNOR
Item 3

Listing

Jan 6, 1989

Jan 6, 1989 Listing
ETWP; Animal Notice of Review; 54 FR 554 579
  • Publication type: CNOR
Item 4

Listing

Nov 21, 1991

Nov 21, 1991 Listing
ETWP; Animal Candidate Review for Listing as Endangered or Threatened Species; 56 FR 58804 58836
  • Publication type: CNOR
Item 5

Listing

Jul 28, 1994

Jul 28, 1994 Listing (Substantial)
ETWP; Notice of 90-day Finding on a Petition to List the Dakota Skipper as an Endangered or Threatenโ€ฆ
  • Publication type: 90 day petition finding
Item 6

Listing

Nov 15, 1994

Nov 15, 1994 Listing
ETWP; Animal Candidate Review for Listing as Endangered or Threatened Species.
  • Publication type: CNOR
Item 7

Listing

Feb 27, 1995

Feb 27, 1995 Listing (Not Warranted)
ETWP; 12-Month Finding for a Petition to List the Dakota Skipper as Endangered or Threatened
  • Publication type: 12m petition finding
Item 8

Listing

Jun 13, 2002

Jun 13, 2002 Listing
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Review of Species That Are Candidates or Proposed forโ€ฆ
  • Publication type: CNOR
Item 9

Listing

May 4, 2004

May 4, 2004 Listing
Review of Species That Are Candidates or Proposed for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; Annual Noโ€ฆ
  • Publication type: CNOR
Item 10

Listing

May 11, 2005

May 11, 2005 Listing
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Review of Native Species That Are Candidates or Proโ€ฆ
  • Publication type: CNOR
Item 11

Listing

Sep 12, 2006

Sep 12, 2006 Listing (Warranted But Precluded: Resubmitted)
Review of Native Species That Are Candidates or Proposed for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; Anโ€ฆ
  • Publication type: 12m petition finding
Item 12

Listing

Sep 12, 2006

Sep 12, 2006 Listing
Review of Native Species That Are Candidates or Proposed for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; Anโ€ฆ
  • Publication type: CNOR
Item 13

Listing

Dec 6, 2007

Dec 6, 2007 Listing (Warranted But Precluded: Resubmitted)
Review of Native Species That Are Candidates for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; Annual Noticโ€ฆ
  • Publication type: 12m petition finding
Item 14

Listing

Dec 6, 2007

Dec 6, 2007 Listing
Review of Native Species That Are Candidates for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; Annual Noticโ€ฆ
  • Publication type: CNOR
Item 15

Listing

Dec 10, 2008

Dec 10, 2008 Listing
Review of Native Species That Are Candidates for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; Annual Noticโ€ฆ
  • Publication type: CNOR
Item 16

Listing

Dec 10, 2008

Dec 10, 2008 Listing (Warranted But Precluded: Resubmitted)
Review of Native Species That Are Candidates for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; Annual Noticโ€ฆ
  • Publication type: 12m petition finding
Item 17

Listing

Nov 9, 2009

Nov 9, 2009 Listing (Warranted But Precluded: Resubmitted)
Review of Native Species That Are Candidates for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; Annual Noticeโ€ฆ
  • Publication type: 12m petition finding
Item 18

Listing

Nov 9, 2009

Nov 9, 2009 Listing
Review of Native Species That Are Candidates for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; Annual Noticeโ€ฆ
  • Publication type: CNOR
Item 19

Listing

Nov 10, 2010

Nov 10, 2010 Listing (Warranted But Precluded: Resubmitted)
Review of Native Species That Are Candidates for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; Annual Noticeโ€ฆ
  • Publication type: 12m petition finding
Item 20

Listing

Nov 10, 2010

Nov 10, 2010 Listing
Review of Native Species That Are Candidates for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; Annual Noticeโ€ฆ
  • Publication type: CNOR
Item 21

Listing

Oct 26, 2011

Oct 26, 2011 Listing (Warranted But Precluded: Resubmitted)
Review of Native Species That Are Candidates for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; Annual Noticeโ€ฆ
  • Publication type: 12m petition finding
Item 22

Listing

Oct 26, 2011

Oct 26, 2011 Listing
Review of Native Species That Are Candidates for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; Annual Noticeโ€ฆ
  • Publication type: CNOR
Item 23

Listing

Nov 21, 2012

Nov 21, 2012 Listing
Review of Native Species That Are Candidates for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; Annual Noticeโ€ฆ
  • Publication type: CNOR
Item 24

Listing

Nov 21, 2012

Nov 21, 2012 Listing (Warranted But Precluded: Resubmitted)
Review of Native Species That Are Candidates for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; Annual Noticeโ€ฆ
  • Publication type: 12m petition finding
Item 25

Critical Habitat

Oct 24, 2013

Oct 24, 2013 Critical Habitat
Designation of Critical Habitat for Dakota Skipper and Poweshiek Skipperling
  • Publication type: Proposed
Item 26

Listing

Oct 24, 2013

Oct 24, 2013 Listing (Threatened)
Threatened Status for Dakota Skipper and Endangered Status for Poweshiek Skipperling
  • Publication type: Proposed
Item 27

4d

Oct 24, 2013

Oct 24, 2013 4d
Threatened Status for Dakota Skipper and Endangered Status for Poweshiek Skipperling
  • Publication type: Proposed
Item 28

Notice

Sep 23, 2014

Sep 23, 2014 Notice
Listing and Designation of Critical Habitat for the Dakota Skipper and the Poweshiek Skipperling
  • Publication type: Comment Period Reopening
Item 29

4d

Oct 24, 2014

Oct 24, 2014 4d
Threatened Species Status for Dakota Skipper and Endangered Species Status for Poweshiek Skipperling
  • Publication type: Final
Item 30

Listing

Oct 24, 2014

Oct 24, 2014 Listing (Threatened)
Threatened Species Status for Dakota Skipper and Endangered Species Status for Poweshiek Skipperling
  • Publication type: Final
Item 31

Critical Habitat

Oct 1, 2015

Oct 1, 2015 Critical Habitat
Designation of Critical Habitat for the Dakota Skipper and Poweshiek Skipperling; Final rule
  • Publication type: Final
Item 32

Correction

Apr 3, 2018

Apr 3, 2018 Correction
Designation of Critical Habitat for the Dakota Skipper and Poweshiek Skipperling; Correcting amendmeโ€ฆ
  • Publication type: Notice
Item 33

Five Year Review

Apr 25, 2018

Apr 25, 2018 Five Year Review (Information Solicitation)
Initiation of 5-Year Status Reviews of Five Listed Animal Species
  • Publication type: Notice
Item 34

Recovery Plan

Jan 24, 2020

Jan 24, 2020 Recovery Plan (Document Availability (non-FR))
Draft Recovery Plan for the Dakota Skipper; Notice of availability and request for public comment.
  • Publication type: Draft
Item 35

Five Year Review

Jan 5, 2024

Jan 5, 2024 Five Year Review (Information Solicitation)
Initiation of 5-Year Status Reviews of 16 Listed Animal and Plant Species
  • Publication type: Notice
Item 36