Last month, Kelly Vowels, one of our Natural Areas team members, found two rare butterflies at Bernheim: the Dusted Skipper (Atrytonopsis hianna, left) and the Lace-winged Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes Aesculapius, right).
Both species are listed as S2/S3 for Kentucky with Nature Serve, which mean they are considered imperiled/vulnerable for Kentucky. Lace-winged Roadside-Skipper is dependent on river cane (Arundinaria gigantea), while Dusted Skipper prefer Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)as their larval host plants. Lace-winged Roadside Skipper are usually found along creeks in the canebrakes, while Dusted Skipper are found in the glades. Kelly spotted the Dusted Skipper along a roadside glade, while the Lace-Winged Skipper was found near a patch of cane along Wilson Creek.
We hope these rare beauties find a good home among the forested areas of Bernheim and are able to reproduce.