Juniper Hairstreak Callophrys gryneus (Hübner, [1819])

Family: Lycaenidae

Subfamily: Theclinae

Identification: Widespread and variable. Western and eastern populations were once considered separate species but have been found to hybridize. Western: Upperside of male dull red-brown, female tawny; both with dark brown costa and wing borders. Underside of forewing rust-red; hindwing dull to bright green with irregular white line edged inwardly with red-brown. Eastern: Upperside of male dark brown with olive-colored sheen, female blackish brown. Underside green; forewing with tawny base, hindwing with 2 white spots near base and irregular white line edged inwardly with red-brown.

Wing Span: 1 - 1 1/4 inches (2.6 - 3.2 cm).

Life History: To seek females, males perch on host trees all day. Eggs are laid singly on tips of host plant leaves, which the caterpillars eat. Chrysalids hibernate.

Flight: In the far north of its range (Canada) except in southern Quebec at Point Pelee, where the second flight has been recorded (Layberry 1998). One brood from May-August; in the west, one brood from March-July. Two broods in the rest of its range, from Februa

Caterpillar Hosts: Redcedar scopulorum), California juniper (J. californica), Utah juniper (J. osteosperma), and perhaps others.

Adult Food: Nectar from various flowers including winter cress, dogbane, common milkweed, wild carrot, shepherd's needle, butterflyweed, white sweet clover, and others.

Habitat: Old fields, bluffs, barrens, juniper and pinyon-juniper woodlands, and cedar breaks.

Range: East Texas. West: Montana, North Dakota, and Nebraska south to southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Baja California.

Conservation: Subspecies sweadneri is of conservation concern wherever it is found. Callophrys gryneus as a whole has The Nature Conservancy Global Rank of G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery. Subspecies siva and loki have The Nature Conservancy rank of T4 - Apparently secure globally, though it might be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery. Subspecies sweadneri in Florida has The Nature Conservancy rank of T2 - Imperiled globally because of rarity (6 to 20 occurrences), or because of other factors demonstrably making it very vulnerable to extinction throughout its range. (Endangered throughout its range).

NCGR:

Management Needs: Maintain habitat of subspecies sweadneri and manage for the proper successional stage.

Alternate Scientific Names:

Callophrys grynea

Callophrys grynes

Mitoura grynea

Mitoura gryneus

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Observation date: May 21, 2026

Submitted by: jrmbutterfly

Region: British Columbia, Canada

Verified by: Paul Prappas

Verified date: May 25, 2026

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Juniper Hairstreak
Callophrys gryneus (Hübner, [1819])