banded hairstreak

banded hairstreak butterfly (Satyrium calanus)
Photo © Mary Kay Rubey

FEATURES
The banded hairstreak butterfly has a wingspan of one and three-sixteenths to one and seven-sixteenths inches. There are two, small tails on each of the hindwings. The underside of the hindwing is brown and shows a line of dark, white-edged dashes. The blue spot on the hindwing does not have an orange cap. The overall color of this butterfly is gray-brown. The caterpillar is green with white stripes.

BEHAVIORS
The banded hairstreak butterfly may be found statewide in Illinois. It lives in oak-hickory forests, their edges and nearby fields. It feeds on hickory, oak and walnut trees. The life cycle includes egg, larva, pupa and adult stages. One brood is produced each year. This butterfly is active July through August. It overwinters in the egg stage.

​Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae