Common Backyard Threatened and Endangered Monarch Mourning Cloak Butterflies There are roughly 146 MN Endangered: of butterflies regularly Persius duskywing occurring in Minnesota. These Erynnis persius persius Ottoe are some of the most regular ottoe visitors to backyard gardens Dakota skipper* and parks in the Twin Cities and beyond. Assiniboia skipper Uncas skipper *Karner blue Lycaeides samuelis Black swallowtail Poweshiek skipperling* poweshiek eastern tiger swallowtail Uhler’s arctic Oeneis uhleri varuna MN Threatened: Garita skipperling Cabbage White

MN Special Concern:

Arogos skipper Atrytone arogos iowa Disa alpine Erebia mancinus eastern tailed-blue Leonard’s skipper Nabokov’s blue Lycaeides idas nabokovi`

Grizzled skipper Pyrgus centaureae freija Regal fritillary Speyeria idalia Pearl crescent Red Admiral *U.S. Threatened/Endangered Silver-spotted skipper orange Sulphur Photo credit: Andrew Warren, butterfliesofamerica.org

BG17_ButterflyNeighbor_Pamphlet.indd 1 7/17/17 10:29 AM Minnesota Zoo Saving Prairie ’ Butterflies MinnesotaLost Prairies

Prairie butterflies and other pollinators are struggling. Minnesota Zoo scientists What can you do to are working with many partners to save Minnesota’s endangered prairie attract butterflies butterflies. We are breeding butterflies at and protect pollinators the Zoo and studying reasons for their in your garden? decline in the wild.

Plant wildflowers native to your region. Check • Historical out a big list of Minnesota-native pollinator Tallgrass Prairie favorites at mnzoo.org/plantforpollinators Remaining Tallgrass Prairie • Choose your plants so that there are Male Female different flowers blooming from spring to fall. Dakota skipper Avoid pesticides and avoid purchasing plants Hesperia dacotae • Habitat: Tallgrass and Mixed prairie that have been treated with pesticides. Ask Status: U.S. Threatened, MN Endangered your garden store for pesticide-free plants. Host plant: Native grasses • Choose plants of different heights. The tallgrass prairie once covered about The Dakota skipper is an adorable prairie • Choose plants that provide food for butterfly 33 percent of Minnesota and it shaped our specialist butterfly. Males are orange-yellow caterpillars. For example, monarch history. Today only one percent of it remains. and females are latte colored. This species caterpillars can only eat milkweed. Many and plants that need prairie has vanished from more than 75 percent of its have declined or vanished. Habitat loss is • Get out and look for butterflies and your other Get to know Your former range. The Minnesota Zoo is breeding the major cause, but some species declined neighbors! this species to create “insurance populations” rapidly for other unknown reasons in recent to prevent their extinction. The Zoo has also years. Butterflies are “canary in the coalmine” begun reintroducing Dakota skippers to Butterfly indicators of prairie health because of their prairies they have disappeared from. sensitivity to changes in their habitats. Learn more about the Minnesota Zoo’s work to save Neighbors butterflies at mnzoo.org/savebutterflies Printed on recycled paper.

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