Red-lined Scrub-Hairstreak (Strymon bebrycia [Hewitson])
Wing span: 1 - 1 1/4 inches (2.5 - 3.2 cm).
Identification: One long tail on hindwing. Upperside gray. Underside of hindwing gray with white submarginal spots; red-orange postmedian line capped with white toward the outer edge of the wing.
Life history: Males perch on hilltop bushes to find receptive females.
Flight: Possibly three broods in South Texas from February-December; flies all year in Mexico.
Caterpillar hosts: Balloon vine (Cardiospermum halicacabum) in the Sapindaceae family.
Adult food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Subtropical thorn scrub, desert scrub.
Range: Northwest Costa Rica north through Mexico. Rare vagrant to South Texas and southern Arizona.
Conservation: Not required for rare stray.
The Nature Conservancy Global Rank: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management needs: Not reported.
References:
Opler, P. A. and V. Malikul. 1992. A field guide to eastern butterflies. Peterson field guide #4. Houghton-Mifflin Co., Boston. 396 pages, 48 color plates. Scott, J. A. 1986. The butterflies of North America. Stanford University Press, Stanford, Calif. 583 pages, 64 color plates.
Author: Jane M. Struttmann
State and Regional References:
Bailowitz, R. A. and J. P. Brock. 1991. Butterflies of Southeastern Arizona. Tucson, Ariz.: Sonoran Arthropod Studies, Inc. Garth, J.S. 1950. Butterflies of Grand Canyon National Park. Grand Canyon Natural History Association, Grand Canyon, Ariz. Opler, Paul A. 1999. Peterson Field Guide to Western Butterflies, revised edition. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Mass. Stanford, R.E. and P.A. Opler. 1993. Atlas of Western USA Butterflies. Privately published, Denver, Colo. Tilden, J.W. and A.C. Smith. 1986. A Field Guide to Western Butterflies. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Mass.