Can we just go ahead and designate the bleached sandhill skipper the official state butterfly of Nevada? The little guy is having a tough time, but received some good news recently.
🧐 Where Does the Butterfly Live?
The butterfly is so rare, it only lives in Northern Nevada in the alkali wetlands near the Baltazor Hot Springs north of Winnemucca. The springs are said to be unusually hot — so hot, at least one person was airlifted to a hospital for extreme burns according to local legend (ie. social media chatter) 🥵
👀 What Does It Look Like?
The bleached sandhill skipper is just an inch long with pale golden-orange markings. At last count, there were less than 1,000 in existence.
💧 So What’s the Problem?
The butterflies are running out of much-needed groundwater — sucked dry by alfalfa farms, livestock grazing, and drought — to support the saltgrass and rabbitbrush they feed upon.
🙏 How Can We Save Them?
The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned the government to protect the sandhill skipper under the Endangered Species Act in 2022 and the process took a step forward in 2023. Earlier this month, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service endorsed designating the butterfly as endangered and is welcoming public comments through March 10 📣
🦋 See Butterflies Yourself
If you want to skip the road trip up north, you may spot other unique and beautiful butterflies in the Las Vegas Valley at Floyd Lamb Park, Red Rock Canyon, Clark County Wetlands Park, and the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve. The Butterfly Habitat at Springs Preserve is gearing up to reopen for its spring season. Mt. Charleston is home to at least eight endemic butterfly species. Rubberweed plants were recently planted near Lee Canyon and the Foxtail Group Picnic Area to help restore the blue butterfly population.
- Wait a few weeks and keep your eyes on migrating monarchs passing through Southern Nevada. [Hey Las Vegas ✍️]
