Hessel's Hairstreak
Callophrys hesseli (Rawson & Ziegler, 1950)
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Theclinae
Identification: Two tails on hindwing. Underside blue-green; white spots surrounded by patches of red-brown. Forewing's costal white spot is set inward of the other spots in postmedian row.
Wing Span: 1 - 1 1/8 inch (2.5 - 2.8 cm).
Life History: Males perch at tops of host trees to seek receptive females. Eggs are laid singly on terminal growth of host tree; caterpillars eat new growth and older foliage. Chrysalids hibernate.
Flight: One flight in late May in New England, two flights from April-July in the south.
Caterpillar Hosts: Atlantic white-cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides) in the family Cupressaceae.
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers including swamp milkweed, shadbush, sand myrtle, sweet pepperbush, highbush blueberry, buttonbush, and dogbane.
Habitat: Coastal plains swamps and stream banks, associated barrens.
Range: Southern Maine south along the Atlantic coastal plain to northern Florida on the Gulf Coast.
Conservation: Most populations are small and local. All are worthy of being conserved.
NCGR: G3 - Very rare or local throughout its range or found locally in a restricted range (21 to 100 occurrences). (Threatened throughout its range).
Management Needs: Maintain different successional stages of white-cedar swamps and prevent loss of white-cedar stands.
Comments: NULL
Get your BAMONA Gear!
Please donate!
We depend on donations to keep Butterflies and Moths of North America freely available. We want to express our gratitude to all who showed their support by making a contribution this year. You can donate to support this project at any time.
Advertise with us!
Do you have a product or service that you think would interest BAMONA users? If you would like to advertise on this website, contact us by email, or use the contact form and select the "Advertising" category.
Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 161 verified sightings
Observation date: Apr 29, 2024
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Burlington County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 17, 2024
Observation date: Apr 12, 2022
Submitted by: dvollmar
Region: Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 17, 2024
Observation date: Mar 06, 2024
Submitted by: Tommie Rogers
Region: Okaloosa County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 04, 2024
Observation date: Sep 18, 2023
Submitted by: matt johnstone
Region: Liberty County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 19, 2023
Observation date: May 27, 2023
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 12, 2023
Observation date: May 18, 2022
Submitted by: BarbSendelbach
Region: Burlington County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: BarbSendelbach
Verified date: May 19, 2022
Observation date: Mar 21, 2022
Submitted by: John Demko
Region: Lexington County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: May 07, 2022
Observation date: Apr 05, 2021
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Chesterfield County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Apr 22, 2021
Observation date: Apr 04, 2021
Submitted by: otusasiotours
Region: Moore County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Apr 10, 2021
Observation date: Jul 20, 2018
Submitted by: willstuart2001
Region: Richmond County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Dec 07, 2020
Observation date: Jul 27, 2014
Submitted by: Pierre Howard
Region: Georgia, Taylor County, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Sep 22, 2018
Observation date: Apr 27, 2014
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe (Mark Vukovich)
Region: Aiken County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 03, 2018
Observation date: Apr 21, 2014
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Chesterfield County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 17, 2018
Observation date: May 01, 2008
Submitted by: yardbird
Region: Burlington County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Will Kerling
Verified date: Feb 29, 2016
Observation date: May 20, 2012
Submitted by: Chip Krilowicz
Region: Ocean County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: coreyhusic
Verified date: May 22, 2012
Observation date: May 25, 2008
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Erik Nielsen)
Region: Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: sharonstichter2 (MBC Recordkeeper)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2012
Observation date: May 25, 1996
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Richard Forster)
Region: Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: sharonstichter2 (MBC Recordkeeper)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2012
Observation date: May 15, 2000
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Tom Dodd+Cathy Dodd)
Region: Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: sharonstichter2 (MBC Recordkeeper)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2012
Observation date: May 26, 2007
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Tom Gagnon#)
Region: Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: sharonstichter2 (MBC Recordkeeper)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2012
Observation date: May 15, 1999
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Tom Dodd+Cathy Dodd)
Region: Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: sharonstichter2 (MBC Recordkeeper)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2012
Observation date: May 30, 2006
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Tom Murray #)
Region: Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: sharonstichter2 (MBC Recordkeeper)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2012
Observation date: Jun 15, 1997
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Cathy + Tom Dodd)
Region: Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: sharonstichter2 (MBC Recordkeeper)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2012
Observation date: May 26, 2008
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (MBC (Steve Moore))
Region: Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: sharonstichter2 (MBC Recordkeeper)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2012
Observation date: Jun 01, 1996
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Richard Walton)
Region: Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: sharonstichter2 (MBC Recordkeeper)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2012
- 1 of 7
- next ›