Edwards' Hairstreak
Satyrium edwardsii (Grote and Robinson, 1867)
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Theclinae
Identification: One tail on the hindwing. Underside of hindwing pale brown, with postmedian band of dark brown oval spots; blue tail-spot not topped with orange.
Wing Span: 1 1/8 - 1 1/2 inches (3 - 3.8 cm).
Life History: Males perch on trees to watch for females. Eggs are laid in bark crevices of young hosts. Young caterpillars eat buds during the day. Older caterpillars eat leaves at night and hide during the day in ant nests at the base of the host tree. In return for protection, the ants feed on honeydew produced by the caterpillars.
Flight: One flight from June-July in the north, May-July in the south.
Caterpillar Hosts: Scrub oak (Quercus ilicifolia) and occasionally black oak (Q. velutina).
Adult Food: Nectar from various flowers including dogbane, goldenrod, meadowsweet, milkweeds, New Jersey tea, staghorn sumac, and white sweet clover.
Habitat: Oak thickets in rocky open habitats including sand barrens, shale barrens, and limestone ridges.
Range: Eastern United States from southern Canada and southern Maine south to northeast Texas, central Missouri, and northern Georgia.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G4 - Apparently secure globally, though it might be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Comments: NULL
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 851 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 11, 2022
Submitted by: Shirley Devan
Region: James City County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Aug 07, 2022
Observation date: Jun 28, 2022
Submitted by: CincyJeff
Region: Adams County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 18, 2022
Observation date: Jul 08, 2022
Submitted by: rhedden
Region: Albany County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 12, 2022
Observation date: Jul 10, 2022
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 11, 2022
Observation date: Jun 12, 2020
Submitted by: AJ Trently
Region: Davidson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: May 30, 2022
Observation date: Jul 05, 2021
Submitted by: jhdwelly
Region: Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 24, 2022
Observation date: Jul 05, 2021
Submitted by: BarbSendelbach
Region: Albany County, New York, United States
Verified by: BarbSendelbach
Verified date: Nov 16, 2021
Observation date: Jul 17, 2021
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Allegan County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 21, 2021
Observation date: Jul 17, 2021
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Allegan County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 21, 2021
Observation date: Jul 15, 2016
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