''Satyrium titus'', the coral hairstreak, is a North American
butterfly
Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...
in the family
Lycaenidae
Lycaenidae is the second-largest family of butterflies (behind Nymphalidae, brush-footed butterflies), with over 6,000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies. They constitute about 30% of the known butterfl ...
.
Description
This tailless hairstreak is brownish gray on the upper side of the wings. The underside of the hindwing has a distinct row of red-orange spots along the outer margin, but lacks the blue spot found in most hairstreaks.
Habitat
This butterfly favors brushy places, thickets, overgrown fields, open woodlands, and streamsides.
Nectar plants
The coral hairstreak is frequently seen visiting
butterfly weed
''Asclepias tuberosa'', commonly known as butterfly weed, is a species of milkweed native to eastern and southwestern North America. It is commonly known as butterfly weed because of the butterfly, butterflies that are attracted to the plant by ...
, but also uses
New Jersey tea
''Ceanothus americanus'' is a species of ''Ceanothus'' shrub native to North America. Common names include New Jersey tea, Jersey tea ceanothus, variations of red root (red-root; redroot), mountain sweet (mountain-sweet; mountainsweet), and wild ...
,
dogbane and
sulphur flower as nectar plants.
Host plants
Caterpillars have often been reported on feeding on the fruits of wild plums and cherries (''
Prunus
''Prunus'' is a genus of trees and shrubs, which includes (among many others) the fruits plums, cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricots, and almonds.
Native to the North American temperate regions, the neotropics of South America, and the p ...
''), and have also been observed on serviceberry (''
Amelanchier alnifolia'') and oaks (''
Quercus
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably '' ...
'').
References
*Jim P. Brock, Kenn Kaufman (2003). ''Butterflies of North America''. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. .
External links
''S. titus'' photos BugGuide
Cirrus Image
''S. titus'' info ODNR Division of Wildlife
''Satyrium titus''Wisconsin Butterflies
{{Taxonbar, from=Q648943
Butterflies of North America
Satyrium (butterfly)
Butterflies described in 1793
Taxa named by Johan Christian Fabricius