Endangered Species: Appalachian Grizzled Skipper

A Christiansburg Elementary Project
Submitted by Joseph
Christiansburg Elementary School, Christiansburg, U.S.A.

Appalachian Grizzled Skipper

Photography courtesy of Virginia's Endangered Species
Why Study This Topic? What Was Already Known Search for Information Description of Plant or Animal Habitat Requirements
Adaptations Reasons for Endangerment Restoration Actions What Was Learned Conclusions from Research

Why Study This Topic?

  I want to find out everything that there is to know about the Appalachian Grizzled Skipper. I even want to find out how many butterflies of this species, that is only if I can. I also want to find out why it is on the endangered list.

The reason why I am doing this report is that it is a class assignment, but I guess it will be sort of cool because I will learn a lot about an endangered species that lives in my home state of Virginia. If I do not do well on this report, then I will not get a good grade. I am determined to do the best I can.
 

What Was Already Known

  No information provided.

Search for Information

 . No information provided.

Description

  My animal is called the Appalachian Grizzled Skipper. It is a insect; it is in the insect family lepidoptera (a butterfly) like all insects it has three major parts, the head, the thorax, and the abdomen.

The wing size tip to tip of an average sized Appalachian Grizzled Skipper is 14 to 15 millimeters long. I've seen a picture of this butterfly, and it looks exactly like the one that is on the page. The major color of the Appalachian Grizzled Skipper is black, and it has little white spots and lines on it. 
 

Habitat Requirements

  It requires certain flowers to pollinate.

Adaptations


 I guess that its only prey is certain types of flowers. Of course, the flowers are not actually its prey, because it does not eat them it just pollinates them. I think that it is no threat to anything.

 Frogs and birds are its natural enemies because the frogs and birds will eat it.
 

Reasons for Endangerment


The reason for this poor and defenseless creature's endangerment is people. The reason why I say that is because humans are it greatest enemy. Humans spray this certain type of chemical that is used to kill gypsy moths. It turns out that the Appalachian Grizzled Skipper is extremely vulnerable to the type of poison that is used to kill moths. Habitat loss also does not really cause Appalachian Grizzled Skipper's extirpation, but at the rate people are building roads, it will not be that much longer before habitat loss is a problem. Another reason the Appalachian Grizzled Skipper is endangered is it is being captured for collections. Even though it is not the greatest threat to this butterfly, it still is cruel. Because people collect them, and just pin them to bulletin boards as if they are an unimportant piece of paper. Habitat loss, and getting ate are not that big of a problem. The real problem is a poison. The APPALACHIAN GRIZZLED SKIPPER used to live in all parts of Virginia some parts of new York and some parts of new jersey, but now because we have been spraying for gypsy moths and on accident we wiped out most of this species.
 

Restoration Actions

  The Appalachian Grizzled Skipper was put on the endangered list in the year of 1989, and in 1991 it was declared threatened. People have set up areas where it is illegal to spray for gypsy moths. In the future, I hope that the gypsy moth is gone so people will stop killing Appalachian Grizzled Skippers.

What Was Learned

  I have learned a lot, considering that I came from knowing anything about this creature to knowing enough to fill almost three full pages with a report about it. Its problem is that it is vulnerable to gypsy moth spray. Its status is threatened, and people have set up shelters for this butterfly.

Conclusions From Research

  I am finally done and my report seems pretty good. I guess you could say I helped the class because now our class has something to show next years class of 1997-98. Then, the next class will see how hard I worked on this report.   I also helped myself, because I will get a good grade just like I wanted.

Bibliography

  Terwilliger, Karen.1991. "Virginia's Endangered Species" Pages: 240-241
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© copyright 1997 

Christiansburg Elementary
Last updated on March 12, 1997