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Decline Of Iowa Populations Of The Regal Fritillary (Speyeria Idalia) Drury, Diane M. Debinskl, Liesl Kelly
Decline Of Iowa Populations Of The Regal Fritillary (Speyeria Idalia) Drury, Diane M. Debinskl, Liesl Kelly
Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS
The Regal Fritillary butterfly, Speyeria idalia Drury (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae, Argynninae), is a prairie endemic species which has exhibited a dramatic decline in Iowa during the last few decades. Tallgrass prairie is the primary habitat of S. idalia and the butterfly's presence is correlated with the presence of violets (Violaceae). Due to the extensive habitat fragmentation of Iowa prairies, both the butterfly and its host plant populations are limited primarily to unplowed, relatively pristine prairies. Thus, S. idalia is an excellent case study of a prairie endemic species. Here, we report on the results of a two-year survey of the insect …