Butterfly of the Week

Juvenal's Duskywing

Erynnis juvenalis (Fabricius 1793)

Status: Uncommon breeding resident

Flight: A single flight from mid April to mid June.

Distinguishing features: Juvenal's Duskywing is the only species of its genus in the state that has prominent hyaline spots on the fore wings, with two sub apical pale spots on the ventral hind wing. Wingspan: 3.5-4 cm.

Distribution and habitat: Map 87. Essentially found across the entire state, although it appears to be more common in the eastern third. It occurs in a variety of oak-dominated forests and may be more common in undisturbed forest habitats.

Natural history: The larvae of Juneval's Duskywing feed on oaks and make leaf-nests. The adults are fast flyers and may often be seen resting on vegetation or puddling along roadsides and trails.

Questions: Do the leaf-nests of different Erynnis larvae all look the same? Do all Erynnis larvae eat the same parts of oak leaves? Which oak species are favored by this species in Iowa? How do larvae avoid predation? 

The Butterflies of Iowa, by Dennis W. Schlicht, John C. Downey, and Jeffrey C. Nekola

Finding Projectile Points

Collecting artifacts is an enjoyable hobby; follow these common-sense guideline provided by the Office of the State Archeologist at the University of Iowa. Always get landowner permission before collecting. It is illegal to collect on public lands without a permit. Surface collect; do not try to excavate a site. Identify, catalog, and label your find and record site locations with the OSA. The OSA can help you document, process, manage, and care for your collection. Do not collect human remains. All prehistoric and modern cemeteries and burial sites in Iowa are protected by state and federal law. Report any human remains or burial sites you encounter to the OSA. Avoid buying and selling artifacts. This activity encourages looting and the loss of our nonrenewable cultural heritage. Many items on the market today are recently made copies.

Keep your collection intact; do not let it get dispersed. Be proactive with your collection. Read about Iowa archaeology, allow professionals to study your collection, give programs to school groups, participate in public field schools, and join the Iowa Archeology Society.

Visit the Office of the State Archeologist at the University of Iowa

Visit the Iowa Archeology Society

A Guide to Projectile Points of Iowa, Part 2: Middle Archaic, Late Archaic, Woodland, and Late Prehistoric Points by Joseph Tiffany, photographs by Christian A. Driver

Butterfly of the Week

Dreamy Duskywing

Erynnis icelus (Scudder and Burgess 1870)

Status: Very rare breeding resident.

Flight: A single flight from late April to mid May.

Distinguishing features: Unlike most Duskywings in Iowa, the Dreamy Duskywing lacks clear spots on the fore wing. In this respect it is similar to the Sleepy Duskywing, but it is smaller and has less distinct and more jagged dark bars on the upper fore wing. Wingspan: 3-3.6 cm.

Distribution and habitat: Map 85. Very uncommon in Iowa, with only one authenticated record from black oak sand savanna in the far northeastern corner of the state. The specimen reported from Ledges State Park in Boone County likely represents a misidentified E. brizo.

Natural history: Very little is known about the behavior and activities of this species in the state. In northern Wisconsin it favors scrubby lowlands with willows and can become rather frequent. Its larvae are reported to eat willows and poplars.

Questions: Are populations of this species stable within the state, or do they undergo frequent colonizations and extirpations? What are the preferred larval hosts?

The Butterflies of Iowa, by Dennis W. Schlicht, John C. Downey, and Jeffrey C. Nekola

A Prairie Populist

Spring rains come to the Nebraska prairie

So there we stood while the rain seemed to come down to buckets full which was the way when a long drouth would be broken and we stood and laughed. Laughed because I got my wish. Laughed because it was so ridiculously funny. I laughed for joy for my garden. J.T. laughed because of it all and because I did. We would nearly stop and Willie would begin and then we would begin all over again. . . . The next morning, as always after those showers, the sun was gloriously warm and bright. The garden was fine as possible but I had a job housecleaning and washing and drying our clothing but was glad that it was necessary just so we got the rain. We had many a good laugh over our wetting for years to come and I don’t think I ever said I wished it would rain that J.T. did not ask if I was willing to be wet to the skin.

A Prairie Populist: The Memoirs of Luna Kellie, edited by Jane Taylor Nelsen

Plant of the Week

Eastern gamagrass
Tripsacum dactyloides L.
other common names: bullgrass, gamagrass, sesame grass
Tripsacum: from Greek, meaning to “thresh” or “rub,” probably because the fertile spike with its large seeds can be broken up so easily
Dactyloides: from Greek, meaning
“finger-like”; also from an ancient name for some grasses
Grass family: Poaceae (Gramineae)

Photograph by Thomas Rosburg, Wildflowers of the Tallgrass Prairie: The Upper Midwest, Second Edition

Butterfly of the Week

Hayhurst's Scallopwing

Staphylus hayhurstii (Edwards 1870)

Status: Infrequent to rare breeding resident.

Flight: Double brooded, with adults flying from late May to mid June and from mid July to early August. Rarely a partial third brood will occur in early September.

Distinguishing features: This small dark brown skipper has scalloped wing edges in fresh specimens. The fore wing below appears to have a checkered fringe. Unlike its close look-alike the Common Sootywing, Pholisora catyllus, S. hayhurstii rests with wings outspread against the surface of the substrate, which is reminiscent of some moths and metalmarks. It is also a lighter brown than P. catullus. Wingspan: 2.3-2.5 cm.

Distribution and habitat: Map 70. The Hayhurst's Scallopwing appears limited to the southern half of the state. It is most often encountered in sandy floodplain forests of river birch. It has also been sighted in Loess Hills forests and wooded groves adjacent to sand prairies.

Natural history: Most recent sightings of this species are of single individuals. Although its larvae have been reported to eat various members of the goosefoot family, including lamb's quarters, the actual host plants in Iowa remain undocumented. The Scallopwing's scattered occurrence and relatively high level of habitat fidelity suggest that it consumes a related species, which is less ubiquitous in the modern landscape.

Questions: What adaptive benefits are provided by resting with wings open and flat? What host plans are actually utilized by this species in the state? Do populations reside in floodplain forests or simple use these habitats as migrational corridors?

The Butterflies of Iowa, by Dennis W. Schlicht, John C. Downey, and Jeffrey C. Nekola

Rain Garden Update

Update from the Kuhl House gardens

Plants in our rain garden and prairie garden are making themselves visible above ground right now, thanks to Iowa’s unusually early spring. Everything seems to have survived the mild winter conditions. In fact, the cup plants seedlings runneth over, and we have had to be merciless about digging them up; we also thinned the many new brown-eyed Susan seedlings. Wild geranium and golden Alexander are blooming and the Indigo bush is getting ready to bloom. University Facilities Management staff added fresh compost to the rain garden’s berm, and we weeded and trimmed both gardens while making plans to add a few new grasses and wildflowers.