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