Red-banded Hairstreak
Calycopis cecrops (Fabricius, 1793)
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Theclinae
Identification: Two tails on the hindwing. Upperside brown, hindwing blue. Underside gray-brown with white postmedian line edged with red-orange.
Wing Span: 7/8 - 1 1/4 inches (2.2 - 3.2 cm).
Life History: Males perch on shrubs and low trees to watch for females. Females lay eggs singly on underside of fallen leaves near the host plant. Caterpillars feed on leaves and buds and probably detritus. Chrysalids and fourth-stage caterpillars hibernate.
Flight: All year in Florida, two broods northward from April-October.
Caterpillar Hosts: Fallen leaves of wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera), dwarf sumac (Rhus copallina), staghorn sumac (R. typhina), and several oaks.
Adult Food: Flower nectar from yarrow, wild cherry, tickseed sunflower, sumac, sweet pepperbush, New Jersey tea, common milkweed, and dogbane.
Habitat: Coastal hammocks, overgrown fields, forest edges.
Range: Southeastern United States from Long Island south through Florida, west through entire area to southeast Kansas, eastern Oklahoma, and eastern Texas. Strays to eastern Nebraska, northern Illinois, and Michigan.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: Not reported.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 3480 verified sightings
Observation date: Apr 30, 2023
Submitted by: Aurelia Arcana
Region: Davidson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Sep 05, 2025
Submitted by: tnjbodker
Region: Wilson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Sep 07, 2025
Submitted by: Snellzy
Region: Davidson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Sep 26, 2025
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 27, 2025
Observation date: Aug 03, 2025
Submitted by: hsmarshall
Region: Humphreys County, Mississippi, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 10, 2025
Observation date: Sep 02, 2025
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 04, 2025
Observation date: Aug 25, 2025
Submitted by: greggra
Region: Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 30, 2025
Observation date: Aug 30, 2025
Submitted by: jwileyrains
Region: Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 30, 2025
Observation date: Aug 29, 2025
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Lexington County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 30, 2025
Observation date: Aug 28, 2025
Submitted by: jrtindall
Region: Mercer County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 29, 2025
Observation date: Aug 24, 2025
Submitted by: Lady Vine
Region: Providence County, Rhode Island, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 25, 2025
Observation date: Aug 12, 2025
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Dare County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 13, 2025
Observation date: Aug 02, 2025
Submitted by: sarastump
Region: Harford County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 04, 2025
Observation date: May 26, 2025
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: McIntosh County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jul 20, 2025
Observation date: Jun 23, 2025
Submitted by: D Grimes
Region: Brooks County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jul 20, 2025
Observation date: May 31, 2024
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Orange County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 12, 2025
Observation date: May 19, 2025
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 12, 2025
Observation date: May 18, 2025
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 12, 2025
Observation date: Sep 01, 2024
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 12, 2025
Observation date: Aug 10, 2024
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Union County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 12, 2025
Observation date: Jul 27, 2024
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Warren County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 12, 2025
Observation date: Sep 13, 2020
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Warren County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 12, 2025
Observation date: Sep 12, 2020
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 12, 2025
Observation date: Aug 05, 2020
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Morris County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 12, 2025
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