Flight: First strays from the south in June. The offspring of these migrants constitute the bulk of the Iowa flight, which occurs from early August through late October.
Distinguishing features: Adults are tan-orange. Males have a prominent stigma with a gray shadow toward the rear. Dark fingerlike projections form a ragged border above. Females are larger and darker, with a nearly solid border above; the lower hind wing has a dark stipe in the area of the anal veins, with small dark patches throughout. Wingspan: 2.7 - 2.9 cm. (males) to 3.3 cm. (females).
Distribution and habitat: Map 155 .Observed across the entire state, but most encounters have taken place in the western half. Adults are encountered in a wide variety of native and created habitats and often frequent flower gardens.
Natural history: The Fiery Skipper is not tolerant of Iowa winters, and populations are probably killed off each year. Caterpillars feed on weedy grasses such as crabgrass and Bermuda grass.
Questions: Do larval or adult Fiery Skippers ever overwinter in Iowa? Is this species more frequent in western Iowa, or is this simply an artifact of the activities of butterfly observers? What environmental factors might account for the higher frequency of the migratory animal in the west?
Blazing star Liatris pycnostachya Michx.
other common names: button snakeroot, gayfeather, prairie blazing star Liatris: meaning unknown; its origin lost in the mists of antiquity Pycnostachya: from the Greek pyhnos, meaning “dense” or “thick”
Daisy family: Asteraceae (Compositae)
In
January 2012, a group of Amherst students, faculty and alumni began work on a
campus permaculture garden. Though the
garden only measures a quarter-acre, the space will be filled with planted
fruits and vegetables, which will annually yield an estimated 1,000 pounds of
food to be used in a nearby dining hall. Flowers and perennials will be grown
in the garden as well. Amherst volunteers moved roughly 250,000 pounds of
compost and soil from the space, which allowed it to be sheet-mulched. The
permaculture garden, which should be operational this summer, was the
brainchild of Ryan Harb, who earned a master’s degree in green building from
Amherst and was recently appointed as the school’s first Director of
Sustainability.
Check out the UMass Permaculture Documentary Series:
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.
Maximilian sunflower Helianthus maximiliani Schrad.
other common names: none known Helianthus: from the Greek helios for “sun” and anthos for “flower” (hence sunflower) because the flowering heads of this genus tend to turn with the sun each day Maximiliani: named after Prinz Maximilian van Wied-Neu (1782–1867), who made extensive scientific explorations in both North and South America and discovered this plant
Daisy family: Asteraceae (Compositae)
Erynnis lucilius(Scudder and Burgess 1870) Status: Infrequent breeding resident Flight: Double brooded, with a spring brood from late April to mid May and a summer brood from late June to late July. A partial third brood may occasionally occur in mid to late August. Distinguishing features: This species and the Wild Indigo Duskywing differ from other Iowa Erynnis by having very small clear spots on the fore wing and lacking dark brown mottling over both upper wing surfaces. Distinguishing these two species is quite problematic, however. Columbine Duskywings are often smaller and lighter brown than Wild Indigo Duskywings, but intermediate individuals are frequently encountered. Apparently no differences in genitalia exist (Burns 1964). The only consistent feature which can be used to separate them is their choice of larval hosts. Columbine Duskywings eat only columbine, and Wild Indigo Duskywings eat only wild indigo or crown vetch. Wingspan: 2.3 - 3.1 cm. Distribution and habitat: Map 99. Generally limited to the northeastern tier of counties. Individuals were also noted from the Des Moines River valley in the 1960s. This species is limited to dry prairies that support columbine, often limestone or sandstone glades on south- or west-facing slopes. Interestingly, this species has never been observed in the more typical woodland habitat for columbine. Natural history: As noted above, larvae for this species only consume columbine. Populations may be limited to glades, which are sunnier and may provide more nectar than woodlands. Individuals from the spring brood are darker than individuals from the summer brood. Questions: Are the behaviors of Columbine Duskywing and Wild Indigo Duskywing different enough to allow for reproductive isolation, or do they interbreed? Why does the Columbine Duskywing occur only with grassland populations of columbine?
