The Dakota Skipper (Hesperia dacotae) is a small, northern prairie butterfly. Its historic range extended from southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba through the Dakotas, Minnesota, Iowa, and east to the Chicago area. It is now on the MN Endangered List, and the Federal Threatened list as most of its native prairie habitat has been lost. The Dakota Skipper has been in sharp decline since 2014. Dakota Skippers have a very narrow black band of scent scales located centrally along the male’s wings. Females are darker in color, with light bands of lighter spots on both hind and forewings. They are extremely rapid fliers, and their wings appear as a blur to the human eye when in motion. Dakota Skippers prefer native dry or dry-mesic prairie, which include plant species such as little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis), and side-oats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula). However, adults will forage for nectar in lowland prairie for nectar, that includes flowering species such as Kalm’s lobelia (Lobelia kalmii), and bebb’s willow (Salix bebbiana). The Dakota Skipper has a single annual generation, with adults emerging from the pupal stage around the summer solstice. Females usually lay eggs on both grasses and forbs, however larvae feed almost solely on grasses.