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Butterflies of North America

Butterflies of North Carolina

King's Hairstreak (Satyrium kingi)
JPG -- species photo

King's Hairstreak (Satyrium kingi [Klots & Clench])

Wing span: 1 1/8 - 1 1/2 inches (3 - 3.8 cm).

Identification: Hindwing with 1 long and 1 short tail. Underside light brown; hindwing margin indented above second tail; tail-spot blue with an orange cap.

Life history: Eggs are laid singly on host twigs and hatch the next spring. Caterpillars feed on leaf buds and leaves.

Flight: One flight from May-June.

Caterpillar hosts: Common sweetleaf (Symplocos tinctoria), the only North American native of the sweetleaf family (Symplocaceae).

Adult food: Allegheny chinquapin and sourwood are the only reported nectar sources.

Habitat: Hardwood hammocks, wooded streams, swamp edges.

Range: Maryland south along the Atlantic coastal plain and Gulf states, west to eastern Texas.

Conservation: Listed as a species of special concern in several states. Populations and their habitats should be conserved where found.

The Nature Conservancy Global Rank: G3 - Very rare or local throughout its range or found locally in a restricted range (21 to 100 occurrences). (Threatened throughout its range).

Management needs: None reported.

References:


Opler, P. A. and G. O. Krizek. 1984. Butterflies east of the  Great Plains. Johns 

    Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. 294 pages, 54 color plates.



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:


Layberry, R.A., Hall, P.W. & Lafontaine, D.J., 1998.  The Butterflies of 

     Canada.  University of Toronto Press, Toronto, ON.  280 pp. 

     

Opler, P.A. 1998. A field guide to eastern butterflies, revised format.

     Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston.     

King's Hairstreak (Satyrium kingi)
distribution map
map legend

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