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Taxonomic Groups
Family: Gossamer-wing Butterflies (Lycaenidae)
Family Description: The Lycaenidae are members of the Superfamily Papilionoidea, the true butterflies. Worldwide in distribution, this family has approximately 4,700 species that are unevenly distributed. Coppers are especially dominant in north temperate regions, blues are richest in the Old World tropics and north temperate zones, and hairstreaks are particularly abundant in New World tropics. The adults are typically small to tiny and often brilliantly colored--iridescent blues, bright reds, and oranges. Adults of both sexes have three pairs of walking legs, though most males have fused segments in their front legs. Most adults visit flowers for nectar, but some harvesters feed on wooly aphid honeydew and some hairstreaks feed on aphid honeydew or bird droppings. Females lay single, sea urchin shaped eggs on host leaves or flower buds; the resulting caterpillars are typically slug-shaped. In many species, caterpillars depend on ants for protection, so caterpillars produce sugary secretions that are collected by the ants. Most species overwinter in either the egg or pupal stage.Sort method:
Harvesters
(Miletinae) Harvester (Feniseca tarquinius) |
Coppers
(Lycaeninae) Stanfords' Blue (Euphilotes stanfordorum) |
| Cotundra Blue (Plebejus cotundra) |
| Columbian Blue (Euphilotes columbiae) |
| Tailed Copper (Lycaena arota) |
| American Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) |
| Lustrous Copper (Lycaena cupreus) |
| Great Copper (Lycaena xanthoides) |
| Gray Copper (Lycaena dione) |
| Edith's Copper (Lycaena editha) |
| Gorgon Copper (Lycaena gorgon) |
| Bronze Copper (Lycaena hyllus) |
| Ruddy Copper (Lycaena rubidus) |
| Ferris' Copper (Lycaena ferrisi) |
| Blue Copper (Lycaena heteronea) |
| Bog Copper (Lycaena epixanthe) |
| Purplish Copper (Lycaena helloides) |
| Dorcas Copper (Lycaena dorcas) |
| Lilac-bordered Copper (Lycaena nivalis) |
| Mariposa Copper (Lycaena mariposa) |
| Hermes Copper (Lycaena hermes) |
Hairstreaks
(Theclinae)| Callophrys perplexa (Callophrys perplexa) |
| Colorado Hairstreak (Hypaurotis crysalus) |
| Golden Hairstreak (Habrodais grunus) |
| Superb Cycadian or Great Cycadian (Eumaeus childrenae) |
| Mexican Cycadian (Eumaeus toxea) |
| Atala (Eumaeus atala) |
| Common Brangas (Brangas neora) |
| Great Purple Hairstreak (Atlides halesus) |
| Sky-blue Hairstreak (Pseudolycaena damo) |
| Western Green Hairstreak (Callophrys affinis) |
| "Apama" Western Green Hairstreak (Callophrys apama) |
| Coastal Green Hairstreak (Callophrys dumetorum) |
| Sheridan's Green Hairstreak (Callophrys sheridanii) |
| Desert Green Hairstreak (Callophrys sheridanii comstocki) |
| 'Alpine' Sheridan's Hairstreak (Callophrys lemberti) |
| Hessel's Hairstreak (Callophrys hesseli) |
| Nelson's Hairstreak (Callophrys nelsoni) |
| Rosner's Hairstreak (Callophrys rosneri) |
| Thorne's Juniper (Callophrys thornei) |
| Muir's Hairstreak (Callophrys muiri) |
| Juniper Hairstreak (Callophrys gryneus) |
| 'Olive' Juniper Hairstreak (Callophrys gryneus gryneus) |
| Barry's Hairstreak (Callophrys barryi) |
| Thicket Hairstreak (Callophrys spinetorum) |
| Johnson's Hairstreak (Callophrys johnsoni) |
| Xami Hairstreak (Callophrys xami) |
| Sandia Hairstreak (Callophrys mcfarlandi) |
| Brown Elfin (Callophrys augustinus) |
| Moss' Elfin (Callophrys mossii) |
| Desert Elfin (Callophrys fotis) |
| Hoary Elfin (Callophrys polios) |
| Frosted Elfin (Callophrys irus) |
| Henry's Elfin (Callophrys henrici) |
| Eastern Pine Elfin (Callophrys niphon) |
| Western Pine Elfin (Callophrys eryphon) |
| Bog Elfin (Callophrys lanoraieensis) |
| Goodson's Greenstreak (Cyanophrys goodsoni) |
| Tropical Greenstreak (Cyanophrys herodotus) |
| Long-winged Greenstreak (Cyanophrys longula) |
| Clench's Greenstreak (Cyanophrys miserabilis) |
| Stained Greenstreak (Cyanophrys agricolor) |
| Gold-bordered Hairstreak (Rekoa palegon) |
| Zebina Hairstreak (Rekoa zebina) |
| Marius Hairstreak (Rekoa marius) |
| Fine-lined Hairstreak (Arawacus sito) |
| Creamy Stripestreak (Arawacus jada) |
| 'Northern' Southern Hairstreak (Satyrium favonius ontario) |
| Southern Hairstreak (Satyrium favonius) |
| Ilavia Hairstreak (Satyrium ilavia) |
| Poling's Hairstreak (Satyrium polingi) |
| Coral Hairstreak (Satyrium titus) |
| Acadian Hairstreak (Satyrium acadica) |
| California Hairstreak (Satyrium californica) |
| Sylvan Hairstreak (Satyrium sylvinus) |
| Hickory Hairstreak (Satyrium caryaevorus) |
| Edwards' Hairstreak (Satyrium edwardsii) |
| Banded Hairstreak (Satyrium calanus) |
| King's Hairstreak (Satyrium kingi) |
| Striped Hairstreak (Satyrium liparops) |
| Gold-hunter's Hairstreak (Satyrium auretorum) |
| Mountain Mahogany Hairstreak (Satyrium tetra) |
| Hedgerow Hairstreak (Satyrium saepium) |
| Behr's Hairstreak (Satyrium behrii) |
| Sooty Hairstreak (Satyrium fuliginosum) |
| Sagebrush Sooty Hairstreak (Satyrium semiluna) |
| Soapberry Hairstreak (Phaeostrymon alcestis) |
| Black Hairstreak (Ocaria ocrisia) |
| Silver-banded Hairstreak (Chlorostrymon simaethis) |
| Amethyst Hairstreak (Chlorostrymon maesites) |
| Telea Hairstreak (Chlorostrymon telea) |
| Strophius Hairstreak (Allosmaitia strophius) |
| Orange-crescent Groundstreak (Ziegleria guzanta) |
| Ruddy Hairstreak (Electrostrymon sangala) |
| Muted Hairstreak (Electrostrymon joya) |
| Fulvous Hairstreak (Electrostrymon angelia) |
| Red-banded Hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops) |
| White-striped Groundstreak (Calycopis clarina) |
| Dusky-blue Groundstreak (Calycopis isobeon) |
| Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus) |
| Avalon Scrub-Hairstreak (Strymon avalona) |
| Red-crescent Scrub-Hairstreak (Strymon rufofusca) |
| White Scrub-Hairstreak (Strymon albata) |
| Lacey's Scrub-Hairstreak (Strymon alea) |
| Red-lined Scrub-Hairstreak (Strymon bebrycia) |
| Yojoa Scrub-Hairstreak (Strymon yojoa) |
| Tailless Scrub-Hairstreak (Strymon cestri) |
| Martial Scrub-Hairstreak (Strymon martialis) |
| Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak (Strymon istapa) |
| Lantana Scrub-Hairstreak (Strymon bazochii) |
| Bartram's Scrub-Hairstreak (Strymon acis) |
| Disguised Scrub-Hairstreak (Strymon limenia) |
| Bromeliad Scrub-Hairstreak (Strymon serapio) |
| Megarus Scrub-Hairstreak (Strymon megarus) |
| Red-spotted Hairstreak (Tmolus echion) |
| Leda Ministreak (Ministrymon leda) |
| Clytie Ministreak (Ministrymon clytie) |
| Gray Ministreak (Ministrymon azia) |
| Pearly-gray Hairstreak (Strephonota tephraeus) |
| Bitias Hairstreak (Panthiades bitias) |
| Zebra-striped Hairstreak (Panthiades bathildis) |
| Aquamarine Hairstreak (Oenomaus ortygnus) |
| White M Hairstreak (Parrhasius m-album) |
| Mexican-M Hairstreak (Parrhasius moctezuma) |
| Sonoran Hairstreak (Hypostrymon critola) |
| Early Hairstreak (Erora laeta) |
| Arizona Hairstreak (Erora quaderna) |
Blues
(Polyommatinae)| European Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus) |
| Cassius Blue (Leptotes cassius) |
| Marine Blue (Leptotes marina) |
| Cyna Blue (Zizula cyna) |
| Western Pygmy-Blue (Brephidium exilis) |
| Eastern Pygmy-Blue (Brephidium pseudofea) |
| Eastern Tailed-Blue (Cupido comyntas) |
| Western Tailed-Blue (Cupido amyntula) |
| Hawaiian Blue, Blackburn's Blue (Udara blackburni) |
| Spring Azure (Celastrina "ladon") |
| Northern Azure (Celastrina lucia) |
| Summer Azure (Celastrina neglecta) |
| Echo Azure (Celastrina echo) |
| Mexican Azure (Celastrina gozora) |
| Dusky Azure (Celastrina nigra) |
| Appalachian Azure (Celastrina neglecta-major) |
| Hops Azure (Celastrina humulus) |
| American Holly Azure (Celastrina idella) |
| Cherry Gall Azure (Celastrina serotina) |
| Arrowhead Blue (Glaucopsyche piasus) |
| Silvery Blue (Glaucopsyche lygdamus) |
| Sonoran Blue (Philotes sonorensis) |
| Small Dotted-Blue (Philotiella speciosa) |
| Pumice Dotted-Blue (Philotiella leona) |
| Western Square-dotted Blue (Euphilotes battoides) |
| Central Dotted-Blue (Euphilotes centralis) |
| Bernardino Dotted-Blue (Euphilotes bernardino) |
| Intermediate Dotted-Blue (Euphilotes intermedia) |
| Euphilotes glaucon (Euphilotes glaucon) |
| Ellis' Dotted-Blue (Euphilotes ellisi) |
| Bauer's Dotted-Blue (Euphilotes baueri) |
| Pacific Dotted-Blue (Euphilotes enoptes) |
| Rocky Mountain Dotted-Blue (Euphilotes ancilla) |
| Mojave Dotted-Blue (Euphilotes mojave) |
| Rita Dotted-Blue (Euphilotes rita) |
| Pallid Dotted-Blue (Euphilotes pallescens) |
| Spalding's Dotted-Blue (Euphilotes spaldingi) |
| Ceraunus Blue (Hemiargus ceraunus) |
| Reakirt's Blue (Echinargus isola) |
| Miami Blue (Cyclargus thomasi) |
| Nickerbean Blue (Cyclargus ammon) |
| Northern Blue (Plebejus idas) |
| Anna's Blue (Plebejus anna) |
| Melissa Blue (includes Karner Blue) (Plebejus melissa) |
| Greenish Blue (Plebejus saepiolus) |
| San Emigdio Blue (Plebejus emigdionis) |
| Boisduval's Blue (Plebejus icarioides) |
| Shasta Blue (Plebejus shasta) |
| Acmon Blue (Plebejus acmon) |
| Lupine Blue (Plebejus lupini) |
| Veined Blue (Plebejus neurona) |
| Cranberry Blue (Plebejus optilete) |
| Arctic Blue (Plebejus glandon) |
| 'Rustic' Arctic Blue (Plebejus glandon rusticus) |
| Sierra Nevada Blue (Plebejus podarce) |
| Cassiope Blue (Plebejus cassiope) |
| Friday's Blue (Plebejus fridayi) |
