Prairie-specialist
Guides
Antistrophus silphii
Apical Rosinweed Gall Wasp
Antistrophus silphii is a gall-forming cynipid wasp native to North American prairies. The species induces stem galls on rosinweed (Silphium integrifolium), a tall prairie forb. Galls are large, solid, and succulent when young, becoming harder with age. The wasp has a single generation per year, with adults emerging in early summer.
Atrytone arogos
Arogos Skipper, Beard-grass Skipper
Atrytone arogos, commonly known as the Arogos Skipper or Beard-grass Skipper, is an endangered butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. The species consists of two subspecies: the nominate A. a. arogos and A. a. iowa. It is native to grassland ecosystems of the eastern and midwestern United States, where it has experienced significant population declines due to habitat destruction and poor adaptability to environmental change.
Caliscelidae
Piglet Bugs
Caliscelidae is a family of planthoppers in the superfamily Fulgoroidea, recognized as a distinct family based on 2013 molecular phylogenetic studies that separated it from Issidae. Members are small sap-sucking insects with marked sexual dimorphism in some species. The family includes approximately 250 described species across three subfamilies: Caliscelinae, Ommatidiotinae, and Peltonotellini. Some genera exhibit unusual morphological specializations, including ant-mimicking males in Formiscurra and the distinctive ball-shaped rostrum in Fitchiella robertsonii.
Dichagyris acclivis
Inclined Dart
Dichagyris acclivis, commonly known as the Inclined Dart, is a noctuid moth native to central and eastern North America. The species is of conservation concern in parts of its range, notably listed as a species of special concern in Connecticut. Adults are active in late summer and early autumn, with larvae specializing on seeds of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum).
Fitchiella robertsonii
ball-nosed planthopper
Fitchiella robertsonii is a rare, diminutive planthopper historically known from fewer than 20 collection sites across North America. The species was considered potentially extinct until its rediscovery in Iowa tallgrass prairie in 2008, with subsequent 12-year research yielding 219 specimens—representing 90% of all known collections. Adults measure less than 5 mm but can leap 35 inches in a single jump, roughly 250 times their body length. The species exhibits both brachypterous (short-winged, flightless) and macropterous (long-winged) forms.
Hesperia dacotae
Dakota skipper
Hesperia dacotae, the Dakota skipper, is a small to medium-sized North American butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. Adults are active for approximately three weeks during June and July, their entire lifespan. The species inhabits native tallgrass prairie and has experienced significant population declines due to prairie destruction and modification. Listed as Threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act since 2014, it has been extirpated from Illinois and Iowa, with its largest remaining population in North Dakota.
Lintneria eremitoides
Sage Sphinx
Lintneria eremitoides, known as the sage sphinx, is a hawkmoth in the family Sphingidae. It inhabits sandy prairie habitats in the Great Plains of North America. The species has two generations annually and is strongly associated with Salvia host plants. Adults are active in spring and late summer, feeding on nectar from deep-throated flowers.
Neodactria murellus
prairie sedge moth
Neodactria murellus is a North American crambid moth described by Harrison Gray Dyar Jr. in 1904. It is strongly associated with tallgrass prairie ecosystems and has a broad distribution across the continent, from British Columbia and Alberta to the Great Plains and eastern deciduous forests. Adults are active during spring and summer months. The species is one of relatively few moth taxa specialized to prairie habitats.
Papaipema beeriana
Blazing Star Borer Moth, Blazing Star Stem Borer, Liatris Borer Moth, Oriental Sea-kale
Papaipema beeriana is a noctuid moth whose larvae are specialist borers in the stems of blazing star (Liatris species). The species is endemic to North America and is of conservation concern due to its dependence on native prairie habitats and specific host plants. Adults are nocturnal and attracted to light. The common name 'blazing star borer moth' directly references its obligate relationship with Liatris host plants.
Parvindela celeripes
Swift Tiger Beetle
Parvindela celeripes, the Swift Tiger Beetle, is a tiny (6–8 mm), flightless tiger beetle species native to the Great Plains of North America. Once abundant in native grasslands of Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas during the late 1800s and early 1900s, the species has experienced severe population declines due to habitat loss. It was unknown from Missouri until its discovery in 2010, where it persists in small, isolated loess hilltop prairie remnants. The species remains robust in northwestern Oklahoma's red clay/gypsum exposures, representing its most secure population. Its flightless nature makes recolonization of disturbed or burned sites extremely difficult.
Polites mardon
Mardon skipper
Polites mardon, the Mardon skipper, is a small butterfly in the family Hesperiidae endemic to the Pacific Northwest of the United States. It inhabits native grassland prairies, where it has been observed using native fescue grasses as oviposition sites. The species is listed as endangered in Washington state and was petitioned for federal endangered species listing in 2002. Conservation efforts initiated by the Xerces Society have focused on habitat protection and research into its ecological requirements.
Problema byssus
Byssus Skipper, bunchgrass skipper
Problema byssus, commonly known as the Byssus Skipper or bunchgrass skipper, is a medium-sized butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. The species exhibits a disjunct distribution across three North American regions: the Atlantic coastal plain, the Midwestern tallgrass prairie, and localized prairie fragments. Its larvae feed on specific native grasses, particularly eastern gamagrass and big bluestem. The species is of conservation concern, ranked as G3–G4 (rare or locally threatened) by NatureServe, with critically imperiled populations in Nebraska.
Schinia chrysellus
Chrysellus Flower Moth
Schinia chrysellus is a noctuid moth native to the Great Plains of North America. The species belongs to the genus Schinia, a diverse group of flower moths known for their colorful appearance and close association with host plants. Adults are diurnal and visit flowers for nectar. The caterpillars feed on the flowers and seed pods of their host plants, a trait common to many species in this genus.
Schinia jaguarina
Jaguar Flower Moth
Schinia jaguarina, commonly known as the Jaguar Flower Moth, is a noctuid moth species first described by Achille Guenée in 1852. The species is distributed across the Great Plains and adjacent regions of North America, with records from Canada south through Mexico. Adults are active primarily during summer months and are attracted to light. The larvae are specialized feeders on leguminous plants.
Schinia lucens
Leadplant Flower Moth, False Indigo Flower Moth
Schinia lucens is a small noctuid moth with distinctive mottled pink coloration. The species was first described by Herbert Knowles Morrison in 1875. It is known from the central and western United States, where it is closely associated with Amorpha host plants. Adults have a wingspan of approximately 25–28 mm and are active during summer months.
Schinia sanguinea
Bleeding Flower Moth
Schinia sanguinea, commonly known as the bleeding flower moth, is a small noctuid moth native to North America. Adults are active in autumn, primarily September through October, and are characterized by their distinctive pinkish-red forewings with darker markings. The species is notable for its specialized larval association with Liatris (blazing star) species, where caterpillars feed on developing flowers and seed heads. The moth occupies a broad geographic range across eastern and central North America, with a disjunct population in Ontario.
Tebenna silphiella
rosinweed moth
Tebenna silphiella is a small moth in the family Choreutidae, commonly known as the rosinweed moth. It is restricted to prairie habitats in the central United States, where its larvae feed exclusively on Silphium integrifolium (rosinweed). The species has two generations per year, with adults active in May and larvae present from May through June.
Tetraopes
Milkweed Longhorn Beetles
Tetraopes is a genus of specialized longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae: Lamiinae) distributed from Guatemala to Canada. The genus is defined by extreme host specificity to milkweeds (Asclepias and related genera in Apocynaceae), with larvae feeding on roots and adults feeding on leaves and flowers. All species exhibit aposematic red-and-black coloration advertising their sequestration of cardiac glycosides from host plants. The eyes are completely divided by antennal insertions, giving rise to both the scientific name ("four eyes") and common name "four-eyed milkweed beetle" for some species. The genus represents a classic example of coevolutionary radiation with its host plants.