The regal fritillary is aptly named. A glimpse of this large butterfly, with its beautiful reddish-orange wings ornately spotted with white, black and blue, effortlessly sailing above the prairie, is indeed a regal sight.
Conservation
Wild Indigos – Exceptional Native Ornamentals
Ask any horticulturalist what wildflowers make good ornamentals, and wild indigos are usually near the top of their list.
Fish Ladders – Something Could Mean Everything
Most everyone knows fish can jump. But there are few species swimming in rivers and streams in Nebraska that can launch themselves 3 feet from a pool into a culvert.
Large Milkweed Bugs
If you pay attention to milkweed plants during the summer, you’ll notice a wide variety of insect species feeding on the nectar produced by milkweed flowers.
Marbleseed – An Admired Plant
Despite more than 1,500 native plants in Nebraska, marbleseed is perhaps the author’s favorite.
Wet vs. Dry Wetlands
Wet and dry cycles are a natural process for many wetlands in the Great Plains, a region known for both deluge and drought.