We examined the abundances of common, open area butterflies and the species richness of grassland specialists in three types of roadsides: grassy, weedy, and restored to prairie. We also considered how distance from a source prairie affected patterns. Two common butterflies, D. plexippus and Everes comyntas showed a significant relationship with roadside type, but not distance. There were no significant associations between grassland species richness and any factor we measured. More intensive sampling may be necessary, though, to detect an effect.

Reconstructing prairie habitat is one of the most promising techniques for conserving the imperiled prairie ecosystem and its associated organisms. However, the degree to which reconstructed prairies function like remnant prairies has not been fully determined. Here, we examine butterflies as possible indicators of a reconstructed prairie's similarity to remnant prairies in the same areas. Butterflies are closely associated with the plant community and many prairie endemic butterfly species are declining with the loss and degradation of prairie. We found that at the community-level, adult butterflies in central Iowa were only limited indicators of reconstruction vegetative quality (similarity to remnants). This result is attributed to the high level of mobility of adult butterflies and the pre-emptive loss of many of the habitat-sensitive butterflies from the small highly degraded prairies of central Iowa. Our efforts to reintroduce declining prairie endemic Speyeria idalia (Regal Fritillary) to a large-scale prairie reconstruction have produced preliminary results that suggest that reconstructed prairie may provide adequate habitat for short-term (one season) occupancy. Whether these reconstructed ecosystems are capable of supporting viable reproduction populations in the long-term will be determined in the future. It is concluded that reconstructed prairie, while not providing the same quality of butterfly habitat as remnants prairie, they are serving as adequate refuges for the butterfly community as a whole and for some prairie endemic butterfly species.

The consequences of habitat fragmentation on communities have been extensively studied. However, few studies on habitat fragmentation have addressed the role landscape context plays in determining local species assemblages. Our study examines how landscape composition at the regional scale effects prairie butterfly communities in 24 Midwest native tallgrass prairie remnants located in four distinct geographical regions. These regions differed in their degree of historical habitat heterogeneity and their current predominant land use (matrix habitat). The current land use categories, or matrix type, included: row crop agriculture, pasture for cattle grazing, woodland, and urban development. Historically, the regions varied from continuous tallgrass prairie ecosystem to the historically isolated and smaller 'goat prairies' located within the Driftless area in Northeast Iowa and Southwest Wisconsin. Area accounted for a significant amount of the variation in species richness only in the two historically fragmented regions.

This beautiful and comprehensive guide, many years in the making, is a manual for identifying the butterflies of Iowa as well as 90 percent of the butterflies in the Plains states. It begins by providing information on the natural communities of Iowa, paying special attention to butterfly habitat and distribution. Next come chapters on the history of lepidopteran research in Iowa and on creating butterfly gardens, followed by an intriguing series of questions and issues relevant to the study of butterflies in the state. The second part contains accounts, organized by family, for the 118 species known to occur in Iowa. Each account includes the common and scientific names for each species, its Opler and Warren number, its status in Iowa, adult flight times and number of broods per season, distinguishing features, distribution and habitat, and natural history information such as behavior and food plant preferences. As a special feature of each account, the authors have included questions that illuminate the research and conservation challenges for each species. In the third section, the illustrations, grouped for easier comparison among species, include color photographs of all the adult forms that occur in Iowa. Male and female as well as top and bottom views are shown for most species. The distribution maps indicate in which of Iowa’s ninety-nine counties specimens have been collected; flight times for each species are shown by marking the date of collection for each verified specimen on a yearly calendar. The book ends with a checklist, collection information specific to the photographs, a glossary, references, and an index. The authors’ meticulous attention to detail, stimulating questions for students and researchers, concern for habitat preservation, and joyful appreciation of the natural world make it a valuable and inspiring volume.

Hanski, a leading thinker in metapopulation ecology, studies checkerspot butterfly populations in Finland. Ehrlich, one of the leading ecologists and conservation biologist, investigates checkerspot butterfly populations in California. This book reports on and synthsizes the major long-term research of both workers' careers on the population biology of checkerspot butterflies.

The book addresses this critical need by providing a straightforward and easy to read primer to key elements of at-risk butterfly conservation programs including captive husbandry, organism reintroduction, habitat restoration, population monitoring, recovery planning and cooperative programs. Impacts from habitat loss and fragmentation, invasive species, and climate change continue to accelerate the rate of imperilment and necessitate increased conservation action. Zoos, natural history museums, botanical gardens and wildlife agencies are progressively focusing on insects, particularly charismatic groups such as butterflies and native pollinators, to help advance local conservation efforts and foster increased community interest and engagement. Today, many institutions and their partners have successfully initiated at-risk butterfly conservation programs, and numerous others are exploring ways to become involved. However, insufficient experience and familiarity with insects is a critical constraint preventing staff and institutions from adequately planning, implementing and evaluating organism-targeted activities. The information provided is intended to improve staff practices, learn from existing programs, promote broader information exchange, and strengthen institutional ability to develop new or improve existing butterfly conservation initiatives. The information provided is intended to improve staff practices, learn from existing programs, promote broader information exchange, and strengthen institutional ability to develop new or improve existing butterfly conservation initiatives. This book will be useful to professionals from zoos, natural history museums, botanical gardens, wildlife agencies, conservation organizations, land managers, students, and scientist in conservation biology, ecology, entomology, biology, and zoology.

Provides an overview of the fast expanding field of dispersal ecology. The causes, mechanisms, and consequences of dispersal at the individual, population, species, and community levels are all considered.