Nebraska Academy of Sciences
Date of this Version
1994
Abstract
Stolley Prairie, a tallgrass virgin prairie remnant in eastern Nebraska, was visited 20 times between May 25 and August 14, 1988. Fifty-two species of forbs were observed in bloom during this period. Twenty-seven species of butterflies were observed and 21 species made 262 nectar-seeking visits to 21 plant species. While numbers of forbs in bloom did not strongly correlate with numbers of butterflies present, peaks of butterfly occurrence appeared to follow peaks of blossom abundance. The number of plant species utilized by a species of butterfly ranged from one to nine. Plants with an abundance of nectar such as common milkweed and false sunflower were favored as nectar sources.
Comments
1994. Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences, 21: 63-72. Copyright © 1994 Bray.