Sooty Hairstreak (Satyrium fuliginosum [W. H. Edwards])
Wing span: 1 - 1 1/4 inches (2.5 - 3.2 cm).
Identification: No tails. Upperside drab dark gray. Underside gray to grayish brown; forewing with a line of white-bordered dark spots which may be lacking.
Life history: Males patrol and occasionally perch to seek receptive females. Females lay eggs singly on host plant or at its base in litter.
Flight: One flight from July-August.
Caterpillar hosts: Various lupines (Lupinus species) in the pea family (Fabaceae).
Adult food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Sagebrush hills, meadows, fields, road edges.
Range: Local within its range. British Columbia south to central California, east to Wyoming and northern Colorado.
Conservation: Not usually required.
The Nature Conservancy Global Rank: G4 - Apparently secure globally, though it might be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management needs: None reported.
References:
Scott, J. A. 1986. The butterflies of North America. Stanford University Press, Stanford, Calif. 583 pages, 64 color plates. Tilden, J. W. 1986. A field guide to western butterflies. Houghton-Mifflin Co., Boston, Mass. 370 pages, 23 color plates.
Author: Jane M. Struttmann
State and Regional References:
Ferris, C.D. and F.M. Brown. 1980. Butterflies of the Rocky Mountain States. University of Oklahoma Press. Norman. Layberry, R.A., Hall, P.W. & Lafontaine, D.J., 1998. The Butterflies of Canada. University of Toronto Press, Toronto, ON. 280 pp. 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.