Prairie-pollinator
Guides
Echinargus isola
Reakirt's Blue
Echinargus isola, commonly known as Reakirt's Blue, is a small butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. The species is native to Central America and the extreme southern United States, with regular northward migrations throughout most of the U.S. reaching nearly to the Canadian border. It has been documented visiting flowers of White Prairie Clover (Dalea candida) in Colorado, where multiple individuals may congregate on single blossoms. Very rare vagrant records extend into the southern prairies of Canada.
Triepeolus eliseae
Elise's Longhorn-Cuckoo
Triepeolus eliseae is a species of cuckoo bee in the family Apidae, described by Rightmyer in 2017. As a member of the genus Triepeolus, it is a cleptoparasite that lays eggs in the nests of other bees rather than constructing its own nests or gathering pollen. The species is known from California and is associated with native bee communities in grassland and prairie habitats. Like other Triepeolus species, it is a specialist parasite of long-horned bees (Melissodes and related genera).