Muted Hairstreak (Electrostrymon canus [Druce])
Wing span: 15/16 - 1 3/16 inches (2.4 - 3.0 cm).
Identification: Two tails on the hindwing. Upperside of male orange-brown; underside tan with red postmedian line. Female not distinguishable in field from that of Ruddy Hairstreak.
Life history: Males perch on hilltop shrubs to seek receptive females.
Flight: April to January in tropical America (3 more flights).
Caterpillar hosts: In Venezuela, flowers of mango (Mangifera indica) and Psiguria racemosa.
Adult food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Openings and edges in tropical semideciduous river forests, second growth.
Range: South Texas south through mainland tropical America to Peru.
Conservation: Any permanent U.S. populations should be protected.
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: Locate populations and protect their habitat.
References:
Neck, R.W. 1996. A field guide to butterflies of Texas. Gulf Publishing Co., Houston, Texas. 323 pp. 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: Paul A. Opler