North American Butterflies and Moths List

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Butterflies of North America

Sooty Hairstreak (Satyrium fuliginosum)
JPG -- species photo

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

Sooty Hairstreak (Satyrium fuliginosum)
distribution map
map legend

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