Range-Wide Appalachian Grizzled Skipper Population Status

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has designated Pyrgus wyandot (W. H. Edwards) (Appalachian Grizzled Skipper, AGS) as a Species of Concern based on its declining populations and the paucity of information on its current status. Our objective was to conduct range-wide surveys to locate extant AGS colonies and to quantify the number of AGS observed at each location. From 2021 – 2024, 284 surveys were conducted in 25 counties. Historical records show that AGS occupied 77 counties in nine states, however we encountered AGS in only two counties in two states: Alleghany County, Virginia and Greenbrier County, West Virginia. We recorded 180 observations of AGS. Our results can assist USFWS decisions on where and how future AGS conservation efforts may be implemented.