Endangered Resources Program Species Information
Dion Skipper (Euphyes dion)
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Overview
Species Overview
Dion skipper (Euphyes dion), a State Special Concern butterfly, is a wetland obligate. It is found in small colonies in marshes or meadows. In Wisconsin its host plants are sedges: Carex lacustris, C. hyalinolepsis and wool-grass (Scirpus cyperinus). Univoltine. Adults are present July through early August. This skipper overwinters as partially grown larvae.
Status and NHI Documented Occurrences in Wisconsin
The table below provides information about the protected status (State and Federal Status) and the rank (S and G Ranks) for Dion Skipper (Euphyes dion). See the Working List Key for more information about the abbreviations used. Counties shaded blue have documented occurrences for this species in the Wisconsin Natural Heritage Inventory database. For invertebrates, dots depict locations from the "Invertebrate Atlas," a database with occurrences of rare and common aquatic and select terrestrial invertebrate species found in Wisconsin and adjacent areas. While the invertebrate atlas is a quality assured database, not all records have been verified. The map is provided as a general reference of where this species has been found to date and is not meant as a range map.
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Detailed Information
Identification: The wings are orange above with a very heavy black border. The male has a heavy black stigma. Females are more heavily marked with black than males. Underside of hindwing is red-brown or orange-brown with 2 yellow-orange streaks running from the base to the margins. The Dion skipper is a folded-wing skipper, a stout-bodied butterfly that perches with closed wings and has antennae with hooked tips. Best distinguished by the markings on the hingwing below. Wingspan: 36-45 mm, Length of forewing: 15-19 mm. Larvae are yellow-green with a black collar. Head is marked with dark and light vertical bands. Eggs are light green.
Similar Species: Other Euphyes skippers. The underside of the broad-winged skipper (Poanes viator) is extremely similar.
Habitat: Wetland obligate. Found in small colonies in marshes or meadows with sedges: Carex lacustris, C. aquatilis and C. lasiocarpa.
Nectar Source: Thistle (Cirsium spp.), swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) and Joe-Pye-weed (Eupatorium maculatum), buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), and sneezeweed (Helenium spp).
Host Plant: Sedges: Carex lacustris, C. hyalinolepsis and wool-grass (Scirpus cyperinus) in Wisconsin (Borth 1992).
Associated Species: Black dash (Euphyes conspicua) and mulberry wing (Poanes massasoit).
State Distribution: Not often found in large numbers. Found in localized colonies. Occurs statewide with documented records from 35 counties.
Global Distribution: Atlantic Coastal Plain west to the Gulf, north along the Mississippi River and across the north from Nebraska to western New York.
Threats: Loss of wetland habitats and the invasion of wetlands by purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) and reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea).
Phenology: Univoltine. Adults are present July through early August.
Life History: Overwinters as partially grown larvae. Pupation occurs within a silked-leaf nest (Scott 1986). A remnant-dependent species (Panzer et al. 1995).
Survey Guidance: Males have a very quick flight and sometimes patrol through the sedges in late morning.
Inventory, Monitoring and Research Needs: Locate additional populations, particularly in sites managed by fire.
Management Guidance: Avoid excessive burning of sedge meadow habitats. Divide area into several burn units, leaving at least half the area unburned.
Information originally presented as part of the Online Field Guide to Rare Lepidoptera: Bogs and Barrens.
Photos
No additional photos are available for Dion Skipper at this time.
Related Links
Links to Additional Dion Skipper Information
- WisconsinButterflies.org Species Profile [Exit DNR]
- Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA) [Exit DNR]
RSS