Cross Timbers

Gateway from forest to prairie

5th poster of the
Biodiversity of Oklahoma series

Banded Hairstreak

Satyrium calanus

Subfamily: Lycaenidae (coppers)
Superfamily: Papilionoidea (true butterflies)

Identification: Hindwing has 1 long and 1 short tail. Upperside of both sexes dark brown. Underside of hindwing dark brown with postmedian band of dark dashes edged in white. Blue tail-spot not topped with orange.
Wing Span: 1 - 1 1/2 inches (2.5 - 3.8 cm).
Life History: Males perch on low shrubs and tree branches during the day, watching for females. Eggs are laid on twigs of the host during the summer, and hatch the following spring. Caterpillars eat catkins and leaves.
Flight: One flight from June-August in the north, April-May in Florida.
Caterpillar Hosts: Many species of oak (Quercus), walnut (Juglans), and hickory (Carya).
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers including dogbane and common milkweed (preferred), chinquapin, small-flowered dogwood, New Jersey tea, meadowsweet, staghorn sumac, white sweet clover, and yarrow.
Habitat: Forest areas and neighboring open edges and fields.

From Butterflies and Moths of North America.

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The Biodiversity of Oklahoma poster series is a project of the Oklahoma Biological Survey and the University of Oklahoma.
For more information contact the Priscilla Crawford, at prill@ou.edu or 405-325-7658.