II. Interpreting the conservative species list

Our working list, comprised of extant, extirpated and hypothetical species, includes a total of 453 conservative species representing 8 orders and 47 families (We plan to update this list each winter).   

Extant species.  We have captured and identified approximately 2500 insect species representing 10 orders and 116 families on one or more natural area remnants since 1982.  Four hundred and eight species (16% of total) representing 42 families and six orders seem to be narrowly associated with remnant prairie and savanna habitats.  Most have been recorded exclusively within natural area remnants and seem to be limited in distribution to these habitats in this region (see discussion of problematic species on the following page).

(Hypothetical species). We have failed to record a number of prairie and savanna-associated species that are known to require prairie and savanna habitats in neighboring counties to the south, west and north. Many of these insects have never been surveyed thoroughly in the CW area (e.g., snout weevils and leaf-eating beetles) and may yet be encountered in this region. We believe that 25 of these species could occur in our area and have included them in our listing. The names of these species are shown parenthetically to indicate their hypothetical status. 

Extirpated species. The status of 20 putative r-d species recorded prior to 1950 remains a mystery. These presumably extirpated species have been included and are shown in red. 

CW-Associated species. One hundred and twenty-four of the species included in our listing seem to be largely, if not entirely, restricted to the Chicago region within Illinois. These species are shown in green.

Host plants. Many of the species we list are restricted to remnants by their reliance on one or a few host plants.  We have included known and/or suspected host plant information for many species. The plants listed are believed to be important, and in many cases the only host plants utilized in this region.

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