Lantana Scrub-Hairstreak (Strymon bazochii [Godart])
Wing span: 7/8 - 1 inch (2.2 - 2.5 cm).
Identification: No tails. Upperside of hindwing blue. Underside of hindwing has mottled pattern of brown and gray with dark patches; conspicuous dark spot near costal margin.
Life history: Eggs are laid singly on flowers of host plants; caterpillars feed on flowers and fruits.
Flight: Two to three broods from May-December.
Caterpillar hosts: Lippia alba and L. graveolens in Texas, Lantanas and basils in Hawaii.
Adult food: Nectar from flowers of Bidens alba, Lantana, Stachytarpheta jamaicensis among others.
Habitat: Open areas in subtropical thorn scrub.
Range: Paraguay north through Central America, West Indies, and Mexico to South Texas. Introduced in 1902 to Hawaii to control (unsuccessfully) lantana.
Conservation: Not necessary for rare stray.
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: None reported.
References:
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