Pollinators. Speyeria idalia is petitioned to be listed an endangered species.

The problem with this beautiful butterfly is habitat loss. Butterflies are pollinators as are bees. They are very important if one is growing crops or simply to propagate nature.

Significance (click here)
Butterflies pollinate flowers and fill important roles in the food chain as food for spiders and birds. Owing to their sensitivity to environmental changes, butterflies are used as indicator species. Many people enjoy watching and photographing butterflies. 



Conservation Measures
Regal fritillary populations have declined in the Midwest mainly due to the conversion of tallgrass prairies into cropland.
Pesticides have also contributed to the species' decline. Large tracts of native prairie with abundant wildflowers are needed
to protect this beautiful butterfly. One such area is the Samuel Ordway Prairie near Leola, S.D., managed by The Nature
Conservancy. The regal fritillary is a candidate for listing as a federally threatened species. Currently, South Dakota does not have any invertebrate species listed as threatened or endangered.