Regal Fritillary
✨ Very RareSpeyeria idalia
One of the most spectacular prairie butterflies. Requires intact prairie for survival.
State species of conservation concern. Your photo is conservation data.
Rusty Patched Bumble Bee
🔥 ExceptionalBombus affinis
Federally endangered. Has lost 90% of its range in 20 years. Key prairie pollinator.
FEDERALLY ENDANGERED. Please photograph and email hello@elysianprairie.org immediately.
Bombus pensylvanicus
Once abundant, now rare due to habitat loss and disease.
Species of conservation concern. Document location carefully.
Monarch Butterfly
💙 UncommonDanaus plexippus
The iconic prairie pollinator. Critical milkweed dependent. Migrates through the Loess Hills each fall.
Population in long-term decline. Every sighting logged here contributes to Iowa DNR monitoring.
Two-spotted Ladybug
⭐ RareAdalia bipunctata
Native ladybug — most ladybugs seen today are introduced Asian species. This one is the real deal.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
🌿 CommonPapilio glaucus
Large yellow-and-black swallowtail. Common in woodland edges and prairie borders. One of the most recognizable Iowa butterflies.
Black Swallowtail
🌿 CommonPapilio polyxenes
Bold black wings with yellow and blue spots. Caterpillars feed on prairie carrot-family plants.
Vanessa cardui
One of the most widespread butterflies on Earth. Migrates through Iowa in large numbers in good years.
Vanessa atalanta
Distinctive red-banded wings. Strong flier, often seen puddling on moist soil.
Colias philodice
Pale yellow butterfly, extremely common in open areas. Often seen in large nectaring aggregations on clovers.
Colias eurytheme
Bright orange sulphur, very common across Iowa prairies. Hybridizes with Clouded Sulphur.
Phyciodes tharos
Small orange butterfly with black patterning. One of the most abundant prairie butterflies — a reliable sign of healthy native habitat.
Limenitis archippus
Monarch mimic. Distinguished by the black postmedian line crossing the hindwing. Found near willows and poplars in the draws.
Gray Hairstreak
💙 UncommonStrymon melinus
Tiny gray butterfly with a bright orange eye-spot near the tail. Fast and easily overlooked.
Glaucopsyche lygdamus
Delicate sky-blue wings on the male. Spring flier, associated with wild lupine patches.
American Copper
💙 UncommonLycaena phlaeas
Brilliant copper-orange forewings. Small and fast. Found in disturbed areas and open prairie.
Giant Swallowtail
💙 UncommonPapilio cresphontes
Iowa's largest butterfly. Dark brown with bold yellow bands. Has been expanding its range northward.
Baltimore Checkerspot
⭐ RareEuphydryas phaeton
Bold checkerboard of orange, white, and black. Iowa state insect. Requires specific host plants in wet meadow edges.
Declining statewide. Your sighting documents a breeding population in Monona County.
Common Wood-Nymph
💙 UncommonCercyonis pegala
Brown butterfly with large eye-spots. A true prairie specialist — found only where native grasses persist.
Hackberry Emperor
💙 UncommonAsterocampa celtis
Chestnut-brown butterfly that lands on people. Fast and territorial. Found near hackberry trees in draws.
Eastern Bumble Bee
🌿 CommonBombus impatiens
The most common bumble bee in Iowa. A robust pollinator of prairie wildflowers. Nests underground.
Brown-belted Bumble Bee
💙 UncommonBombus griseocollis
Bumble bee with a distinctive brown band on the abdomen. Associated with intact prairie habitat.
Halictus rubicundus
Small metallic green bee attracted to perspiration. An important native pollinator often overlooked.
Megachile rotundata
Cuts circular pieces from leaves to line nest cells. A solitary bee and important prairie pollinator.
Blue Orchard Mason Bee
💙 UncommonOsmia lignaria
Metallic blue-black mason bee. Nests in pre-existing cavities. An efficient early-season pollinator.