Willow Creek State Recreation Area
Pierce County
Biologically Unique Landscape: Willow Creek Prairies – This site lies just to the east.
Looking for Butterflies: This site was selected for an opportunity to see Black Dash Skippers and American Coppers (both NENHP S1 species) as well as Wild Indigo Duskywings, an S3 butterfly.
Special Instructions: Quite unexpectedly a population of American Coppers were discovered in a meadow south of the swimming beach along the hiking trail (42°17920 -97 57183) in 2004. They could still be found there as late as 2019. A Wild Indigo Duskywing was also found in that area. Their numbers should improve as an vetch introduced there serves as their larval hostplant. In 2007 Jim Reiser found a Black Dash Skipper in a small marshy area on the northeast corner of the lake (GPS coordinates).
Links for More Information: http://outdoornebraska.gov/willowcreek/
Butterflies Present (NENHP S Rank):
- Wild Indigo Duskywing (S3, Tier 2)
- Black Dash Skipper (S1, Tier1)
- Little Copper (S1S2, Tier 2)
- Anglewings (Polygonia sp.)
- Viceroy
