Carson Wandering Skipper

The Carson wandering skipper is a small tawny orange butterfly found in grassland habitats on alkaline substrates in Washoe County, Nevada and Lassen County, California. Much like monarch butterfly caterpillars rely on milkweed, Carson wandering skipper caterpillars feed on salt grass. The Carson wandering skipper was listed as endangered in 2002, and its remaining populations are on public and private land. Threats to recovery include habitat destruction or modification from mismanaged grazing, land development, non-native invasive plants and changes in the water table which can affect the availability of salt grass and native nectar sources.