Tailless Scrub-Hairstreak (Strymon cestri [Reakirt])
Wing span: 7/8 - 1 1/8 inches (2.2 - 2.9 cm).
Identification: No tails. Tip of forewing squared off. Wings brown. Underside hindwing is marbled with gray and white; black submarginal spot on outer margin.
Life history: Not reported.
Flight: March and October in South Texas.
Caterpillar hosts: Not reported.
Adult food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Seasonal tropical forest and edges at mid-elevations.
Range: Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica north through Mexico to South Texas.
Conservation: Not necessary for rare stray.
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:
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:
Bailowitz, R. A. and J. P. Brock. 1991. Butterflies of Southeastern Arizona. Tucson, Ariz.: Sonoran Arthropod Studies, Inc. Garth, J.S. 1950. Butterflies of Grand Canyon National Park. Grand Canyon Natural History Association, Grand Canyon, Ariz. Opler, Paul A. 1999. Peterson Field Guide to Western Butterflies, revised edition. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Mass. Stanford, R.E. and P.A. Opler. 1993. Atlas of Western USA Butterflies. Privately published, Denver, Colo. Tilden, J.W. and A.C. Smith. 1986. A Field Guide to Western Butterflies. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Mass.