Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Oak Hairstreak
Satyrium favonius (J.E. Smith, 1797)


Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Theclinae
Identification: Two tails on each hindwing. Underside of hindwing gray-brown; blue tail-spot capped narrowly with orange; white-edged black W near inner margin. In peninsular Florida and along the south Atlantic coast, the hindwing has longer tails and more extensive orange and blue markings on the underside.
Wing Span: 7/8 - 1 1/2 inches (2.2 - 3.8 cm).
Life History: Eggs are laid singly on host plant twigs and hatch the following spring. Caterpillars feed on leaves, buds, and male catkins
Flight: One flight from March-June.
Caterpillar Hosts: Various oaks (Quercus species).
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Oak woodlands and edges, oak hammocks in the Deep South.
Range: Southern New England and the Atlantic Coast south to peninsular Florida; west to central Illinois, southeastern Colorado, and the Gulf Coast.
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
Alternate Scientific Names:
Fixsenia favonius
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