Butterfly Species at Risk

A partial list of nontarget butterflies that are potentially vulnerable to the pesticide Bt. All of these remnant-requiring species are known to inhabit savanna/woodland mosaics within the Chicago Wilderness Region.

Common names Status in Illinois Family Hesperiidae: skippers Dusted skipper rare Indian skipper rare Leonard's skipper rare Ottoe skipper rare Mottled duskywing very uncommon Columbine duskywing rare Persius duskywing rare Dreamy duskywing very uncommon Two-spotted skipper very uncommon Bunchgrass skipper very uncommon Dion skipper uncommon Black dash common Family Lycaenidae: gossamer-winged butterflies Silvery blue rare Karner blue rare Edward's hairstreak very uncommon Acadian hairstreak uncommon Purplish copper very uncommon Frosted elfin rare Family Pieridae: sulphurs & marblewings Olympic marblewing rare Family Nymphalidae: brush-footed butterflies Aphrodite uncommon Regal fritillary rare Silvery checkerspot common Silver-bordered fritillary uncommon Baltimore checkerspot common Family Satyridae: browns and satyrs  Eyed brown very uncommon Appalachian brown common

Gaura moth. Doomed by Bt? Photo by Carol Freeman.

Source: Ron Panzer