I have always been fascinated by butterflies. Their grace, poise, and brilliance has always made me stop in my tracks and take in their beauty. Recently, while wandering through the Internet looking for more information about butterflies, I was disappointed by the fact that there are some butterflies that are in danger of extinction and there is not a recovery plan for some of them.

Take, for example, the Dakota Skipper ( Hesperus Dacotae ). The range for the Dakota Skipper is northwest Iowa, eastern South Dakota, eastern North Dakota, western Minnesota, and parts of Manitoba. It’s range used to include most of Iowa and parts of northern Illinois, but because of agricultural and commercial development, harmful burning, haying, grazing, pesticide usage, alien plants, and natural succession, this breed is dying off.

The wingspan on the skipper is 2.4 – 3.2 centimeters, and it is often confused with the Ottoe Skipper. However, there are some differences in not only size but wing shape as well. The shape of the Dakota is more stubbly, whereas the Ottoe has a more pointed wing and the Ottoe is slightly larger.

On the male Skipper, the dorsal surface varies in color from a tawny orange to a brown with a predominate mark on fore wing. They also have a dusty yellow – orange ventral surface. With the female, the dorsal surface is a darker brown with diffused tawny – orange and a few diffused white spots on the margin of the fore wing. She also has a dusty grey – brown ventral surface with a faint white spot band across the middle wing.

They enjoy the tall prairie grass areas and since the development areas are increasing more every day, they are quicky dying out.

It is very heartbreaking to think about the extinction of any animal, whether it is big or small. Another species of the graceful butterfly that is dying out very rapidly is the Mission Blue ( Icaricia Icarioides Missionensis ).

This vibrant butterfly is located in the San Fransisco area and with the rapid development in the area, these have been going extinct for at least 32 years. In 1976, the government approved protection to this species due to the limited area on and around the San Fransisco area and the zoning for developing.

They were first described in 1937 by Hovanitz as having a wingspan of about 25cm ( or 1 inch ). The male is an iridescent blue on the upper wings with narrow black and white margins. Their underside is a grayish color.

The females are primarily brown, although often she has some of the iridescent blue overlay. Her underside is a grayish brown.

Both male and female are marked with an assortment of dark spots on their undersides, which is lighter on the Mission Blue than on their relative, the Pardalis Blue ( Icaricia Icarioides Pardalis ).

The two are often confused since they are so close in size and they are both in roughly the same areas. The Pardalis Blue is ranged just north and south of the Mission Blue, they are slightly larger, and the females never have the blue overlay on the wings.

One generation of Mission Blues occurs per year.