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
Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 838 verified sightings
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
Observation date: Jun 07, 2018
Submitted by: willstuart2001
Region: Scotland County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Dec 07, 2020
Observation date: Jul 10, 2012
Submitted by: cjbruchman
Region: Lake County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 07, 2020
Observation date: Jul 28, 2020
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Newaygo County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 16, 2020
Observation date: Jul 17, 2020
Submitted by: schaarschmidt
Region: Lucas County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 24, 2020
Observation date: Jul 21, 2020
Submitted by: jthompson6112
Region: Lucas County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 22, 2020
Observation date: Jul 05, 2020
Submitted by: Tommie Rogers
Region: Allegan County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 17, 2020
Observation date: Jul 12, 2020
Submitted by: Mark Plessner
Region: Lucas County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 14, 2020
Observation date: Jun 28, 2020
Submitted by: BrierHouseFarm
Region: Fountain County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: Howell_Curtis
Verified date: Jun 29, 2020
Observation date: Jul 07, 2010
Submitted by: rbuist
Region: Manitoba, Canada
Verified by: chalicerae
Verified date: Jun 17, 2020
Observation date: Jul 26, 2019
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Newaygo County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 31, 2019
Observation date: Jul 26, 2019
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Newaygo County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 31, 2019
Observation date: Jul 14, 2019
Submitted by: Mark Plessner
Region: Lucas County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner