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olive hairstreak
olive hairstreak (Callophrys gryneus)
Illinois Status: common, native
Photo © David W. Brewer
Features and Behaviors
FEATURES
The olive hairstreak is a small green butterfly and is one of two hairstreaks found in Illinois. Its average wingspan is one inch. The ventral wings are bright green with brown scaling, two white spots near the base of the hindwing, and a brown and white band on each of the front and hind wings. The coloration of the dorsal wings varies by sex, season, and subspecies. Males are tawny orange or bronzy above, and females are tawny in spring, and blackish-brown during summer.
BEHAVIORS
The olive hairstreak can be found in open, dry, alkaline areas like slopes, bluffs, and former agricultural fields all over Illinois. They are a sedentary butterfly, only taking flight for very short periods before landing again. Adults’ nectar from various flowers, such as winter cress, dogbane, milkweeds, wild carrots, white sweet clover, and others. Eggs are laid on the branch tips of eastern red cedar, where small green caterpillars hatch and feed on the tips. There are usually two broods of these butterflies in Illinois and can be seen in flight from May to September.
Illinois Range
Taxonomy
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Habitats
open, dry, alkaline areas like slopes, bluffs, and former agricultural fields all over Illinois
