North American Butterflies and Moths List

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Butterflies of North America

Butterflies of New Mexico

Hedgerow Hairstreak (Satyrium saepium)
JPG -- species photo


Hedgerow Hairstreak (Satyrium saepium [Boisduval])

Wing span: 1 - 1 1/4 inches (2.5 - 3.2 cm).

Identification: Upperside metallic copper-brown. Forewing of male with black (sometimes pale) oval spot along leading edge. Underside brown with blue spot near tail; other markings not prominent.

Life history: Males perch on low vegetation. Females lay eggs singly on buds, leaves, and twigs of host plant. Eggs hatch the following spring; caterpillars eat buds and uppersides of leaves.

Flight: One flight from April-September.

Caterpillar hosts: Ceanothus species in the buckthorn family (Rhamnaceae).

Adult food: Flower nectar including yerba santa and wild buckwheats.

Habitat: Chaparral, open forest, brushy oak woodlands.

Range: British Columbia south through California into Baja California; east through northern Arizona to northern New Mexico, Colorado, and Montana.

Conservation: Not usually required.

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:


Brown, J. W., Real, H. G., and Faulkner, D. K. Butterflies of  Baja California. 

    1992. Lepidoptera Research Foundation,  Inc., Beverly Hills, CA.  129 pages, 

    8 color plates.



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

State and Regional References:


Ferris, C.D. and F.M. Brown. 1980. Butterflies of the Rocky Mountain States. 

     University of Oklahoma Press. Norman.



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.



Add Toliver, M., Holland, R., and S.J. Cary. 1996. Distributional data

     for New Mexico Butterflies. Privately published. Albuquerque, N.M.

Hedgerow Hairstreak (Satyrium saepium)
distribution map
map legend

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