Specifications include, but are not limited to: The regal fritillary (Speyeria idalia (Drury)) is listed in the South Dakota Wildlife Action Plan (SDWAP) as a species of greatest conservation need (SGCN), along with several other butterfly species (Appendix 1; SDGFP 2014). These species are dependent on high quality grasslands and prairie across their range and have recently experienced large-scale range decline in response to conversion of past habitat to other land uses such as intensive row crop agriculture and urban sprawl (Kelley and Debinski 1998). Thus, in response to this increasing threat, it is imperative to understand the current status of regal fritillary across its known range in South Dakota. This work will specifically address the need for increased monitoring to assess population and habitats for this and other SGCN (SDGFP 2014), particularly in the under-sampled central and western regions of South Dakota.
