Ridings’ Satyr
Oeneis ridingsii (W. H. Edwards, 1865)
Family: Nymphalidae (formerly Satyridae)
Status: Rare resident
NENHP Ranking: S2 Tier 2
Range: Ridings’ Satyrs have been found from southern portions of Alberta and Saskatchewan south into northern portions of California, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico. In Nebraska it has been found in the panhandle counties.
Larval Hostplant(s): Grasses, of which Blue Gramma (Bouteloua gracilis) is a recognized hostplant.
Broods/Flight Times: There is one early summer flight. Nebraska records are from May 23 – July 16. Most recent records are from late May or early June.
Overwintering: As partially grown larvae.
Habitat: Dry prairie hillsides of the high plains and Pine Ridge, sand hills prairies.
Avg. Wingspan: 1 1/2 – 2 3/16 inches
Found at: Crescent Lake NWR, Gilbert-Baker SWMA, Sidney I-80 East Rest Stop
Similar Species: Uhler’s Arctic
Notes: Adults perch on the ground where their cryptic maculation makes them difficult to detect. They are rarely observed at flowers. The discovery of a large population in the sandhills near Crescent Lake in Garden County in the early 1990’s came as somewhat of a surprise as it was the lowest elevation recorded for this species as well as the first record from a sandhills habitat. That population may have since been eliminated by drought in the early 2000’s, but their discovery there alerts us to watch for other sandhills populations in the future.
Ridings’ Satyr, Matthew Brust
