Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Striped Hairstreak
Satyrium liparops (Leconte, 1833)


Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Theclinae
Identification: Hindwing with 1 long and 1 short tail. Upperside dark brown; male with a long, oval spot along forewing costa. Underside of both wings with rows of widely separated white stripes; blue spot near tails topped with orange. Outer margin of hindwing indented above short tail.
Wing Span: 1 - 1 1/2 inches (2.5 - 3.9 cm).
Life History: Males perch on foliage within 6 feet of the ground to watch for females. Eggs are laid singly on twigs of host plants and hatch the following spring. Caterpillars feed on buds, leaves, flowers, and young fruit.
Flight: One flight from July-August in the north, May in the south.
Caterpillar Hosts: Several woody trees and shrubs in the rose (Rosaceae) family including American plum; and heath (Ericaceae) family; also reports for hornbeam, oak, and willow.
Adult Food: Nectar from chinquapin, common milkweed, dogbane, goldenrod, meadowsweet, New Jersey tea, staghorn sumac, viburnum, and white sweet clover.
Habitat: Deciduous forest openings and edges, prairie streamsides, shaded swamps, acid barrens, prairie copses.
Range: Local, not abundant in its range. Rocky Mountains south from southern Canada to Colorado, east to Maine, south to Florida.
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: None reported.
Comments: NULL
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