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 3499 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 01, 2026
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 03, 2026
Observation date: May 27, 2026
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: May 27, 2026
Observation date: May 22, 2026
Submitted by: Craig M Lipski
Region: Texas, Nacogdoches County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 23, 2026
Observation date: May 22, 2026
Submitted by: Juliawyg
Region: Kent County, Rhode Island, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 22, 2026
Observation date: May 15, 2026
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Harford County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 17, 2026
Observation date: Apr 05, 2026
Submitted by: jkarthei
Region: Morgan County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: May 10, 2026
Observation date: Apr 05, 2026
Submitted by: jkarthei
Region: Morgan County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: May 10, 2026
Observation date: Apr 07, 2026
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: May 10, 2026
Observation date: Apr 09, 2026
Submitted by: tnjbodker
Region: Maury County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: May 10, 2026
Observation date: Apr 10, 2026
Submitted by: tnjbodker
Region: Maury County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: May 10, 2026
Observation date: Apr 27, 2026
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Cumberland County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: May 10, 2026
Observation date: May 07, 2026
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: McIntosh County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Alex Stach
Verified date: May 10, 2026
Observation date: Jul 26, 2024
Submitted by: Paul Prappas
Region: Dutchess County, New York, United States
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Apr 14, 2026
Observation date: Mar 25, 2026
Submitted by: millipede
Region: Benton County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Apr 06, 2026
Observation date: Apr 30, 2025
Submitted by: Mboater
Region: Amherst County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Apr 01, 2026
Observation date: Mar 23, 2026
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Lexington County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Mar 24, 2026
Observation date: Jul 26, 2023
Submitted by: Mewpixelz
Region: Walthall County, Mississippi, United States
Verified by: Alex Stach
Verified date: Mar 23, 2026
Observation date: Sep 08, 2021
Submitted by: matthias55
Region: Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Mar 20, 2026
Observation date: Jul 16, 2025
Submitted by: EddieGarrity
Region: Alexandria, Virginia, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 17, 2026
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
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