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 844 verified sightings
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
Submitted by: bshettler
Region: Manitoba, Canada
Verified by: chalicerae
Verified date: Jul 18, 2021
Observation date: Jul 15, 2016
Submitted by: bshettler
Region: Manitoba, Canada
Verified by: chalicerae
Verified date: Jul 18, 2021
Observation date: Jul 03, 2020
Submitted by: terrymortier
Region: Burnett County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Mar 27, 2021
Observation date: Jul 06, 2019
Submitted by: cyric
Region: Washington County, Rhode Island, United States
Verified by: Harry Pavulaan
Verified date: Mar 06, 2021
Observation date: Jul 11, 2020
Submitted by: rhedden
Region: Albany County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Mar 06, 2021
Observation date: Jul 13, 2020
Submitted by: aarongunnar
Region: Juneau County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Feb 27, 2021
Observation date: Jul 17, 2020
Submitted by: Susan McSwain
Region: Nelson County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jan 09, 2021
Observation date: Jul 24, 2020
Submitted by: KenL
Region: Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Dec 31, 2020
Observation date: Jul 07, 2018
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: New Haven County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Dec 21, 2020
Observation date: Jul 05, 2016
Submitted by: B Manning
Region: Polk County, Iowa, United States
Verified by: Eric Wood
Verified date: Dec 10, 2020
