During the months of June, July and early August, the Kankakee Sands prairies are aflutter with the stunning regal fritillary butterfly (Speyeria idalia). Though commonly seen at Kankakee Sands, regals are very rare elsewhere in Indiana.
Often referred to as “Flowers of the Sky”, these large, showy butterflies are easy to spot on the prairie. They are roughly the same size as monarch butterflies, four inches from wingtip to wingtip, and they’re strong fliers like monarchs, too. In fact, I’ve watched regals chase monarchs across the prairie, and watched monarchs chase regals. I’ve always wondered what would happen if they caught one another…
