Overwintering Prairie Skippers

[Martin Bailey]

Dr. Daniel Glaeske said:

"While talking with Ron Royer a few years, we speculated as to the
  distribution of certain prairie skippers, and the absence of certain
  species from otherwise suitable habitat.  One speculation was that ottoe
  may need ungrazed pasture to overwinter.  Perhaps ottoe pupae overwinter
  in the thatch layer and are insulated somewhat from the moisture. "

I had the good fortunate to spend the summer looking for butterflies in five
government pastures in southeast Saskatchewan. (Ranging in size from 8,000
acres[12.5 square miles] to 37,000 acres [58 square miles], with most being
over 20,000 acres in size.  Most of my time was spent in ungrazed pasture
which does provide shelter and refuge even on hot summer evenings to small
birds, mammals and insects and is critical for small mammal survival in the
winter.

And while Purple Coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia) was found in these
pastures - a fond location for male Hesperia ottoe (Royer, R. "Butterflies
of North Dakota"), Side Oat Gramma grass(Boutelouia curtipendula) and Little
Bluestem(Andropogon scoparius) "the favorites of field larvae" (Scott, 1986)
were not.

Side Oat Gramma is rare in the best of times and Little Bluestem seems to be
found in the following spring where snow has gathered over the previous
winter.

These government pastures locally known as PFRAs have been in place for over
sixty years now and are composed of a mixture of tame and native grasses
that are left "to their own devices."

The five pastures are located at the assumed range limit of Hesperia ottoe.
I hope to eventually find an Ottoe Skipper here.

Martin Bailey,

greetings from:  Weyburn, SK., Canada.
                         49.39N  103.51W


 
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