A Comparison of Adult Butterfly Communities on Remnant and Planted Prairies in Northeast Iowa

Abstract

Adult butterfly abundance and diversity was compared in four remnant and four planted tallgrass prairies in Northeast Iowa. Butterfly surveys were conducted at approximately three week intervals over the summer of 2015. Researchers used a modified “Pollard Walk” technique following a meandering transect, and butterfly sightings recorded using the Unified Butterfly Recorder (UBR) Android app. If a butterfly was observed nectaring on a flower, the species of flower was recorded. Floral resource availability, plant species richness and percent cover were measured in each prairie. Although planted prairies contained significantly greater floral resources than remnant prairies, there was no significant difference in floral plant species richness between remnants and plantings. Remnant and planted prairies did not differ in butterfly abundance, but remnant prairies had significantly greater butterfly species richness than planted prairies. These results provide valuable information on the current status of butterflies in each prairie type in northeast Iowa, and can be used in directing future land management and conservation work.