Montana Field Guide

Iowa skippers are small butterflies with a wingspan of 29-37 mm (1.1-1.5 inches) and females are slightly larger than males (Shepard 2005). The upperside of their wings is yellow-orange with grayish-brown borders. Females have wider borders than males. The underside of the wings are light yellow with pale yellow veins on the hind wing (Minnesota DNR 2022). Atrytone arogos iowa are generally lighter yellow than Atrytone arogos arogos and males lack the dark border on the upper forewing (Klots 1951). Iowa skipper eggs are pale yellow to cream, often with two reddish rings (Scott 2022). Caterpillars are pale yellow-green with a light gray or pale tan head with four vertical orange-brown stripes (Opler 1999). The chrysalises range from yellow-cream in the palest females to gray-black in males (Scott 2022).

Adults emerge from late June through July, they mate, and females lay one egg per grass leaf blade within a week of mating. Atrytone arogos iowa only live about a week as adults during mid- to late July in the northern Great Plains (Minnesota DNR 2022, Royer and Marrone 1992, NatureServe 2020). Caterpillars hibernate within tubes they construct from grass blades (Heitzman 1966). Caterpillars are active during the spring and the chrysalis (pupa phase) lasts about two or three weeks before the adult emerges (NatureServe 2020).

Non-migratory.

Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) and other native grasses are the larval (caterpillar) host plants for Atrytone arogos iowa. These butterflies are reliant on prairie and native grassland remnants (Minnesota DNR 2022).

Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) and other native grasses are the host plants and food for caterpillars of Atrytone arogos iowa. Caterpillars live in tubes made by pulling together the edges of a grass blade or by fastening together several grass blades, and feeding on the grass outside of the shelter (Heitzman 1966). Adult Atrytone arogos iowa feed on nectar from flowering plants such as Echinacea angustifolia, Dogbane, and Milkweed (Lotts and Naberhaus 2023).

Adults emerge from late June through July, they mate, and females lays one egg per grass leaf blade within a week of mating. Atrytone arogos iowa only live about a week as adults during mid- to late July in the northern Great Plains (Minnesota DNR 2022, Royer and Marrone 1992, NatureServe 2020). Caterpillars hibernate within tubes they construct from grass blades (Heitzman 1966). Caterpillars are active during the spring and the chrysalis (pupa phrase) lasts about two or three weeks before the adult emerges (NatureServe 2020).