North American Butterflies and Moths List

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Butterflies of North America

Butterflies of Oregon

Gold-hunter's Hairstreak (Satyrium auretorum)
JPG -- species photo

Gold-hunter's Hairstreak (Satyrium auretorum [Boisduval])

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

Identification: Hindwing with 1 short tail. Upperside of male light reddish-brown; female with yellowish tinge. Underside of hindwing with dark crescents near outer margin. Spot near tail is dull orange with a black center.

Life history: Males perch on top of trees and sometimes patrol for females. Eggs are laid singly on stems and hibernate until spring. Caterpillars feed on tender young leaves.

Flight: One flight from May-July.

Caterpillar hosts: Several species of oak (Quercus).

Adult food: Flower nectar including milkweeds.

Habitat: Oak hillsides and chaparral.

Range: California west of the Sierra Nevada, Transverse Range, and deserts, from Mendocino County south to San Diego County and into Baja California Norte.

Conservation: The Santa Monica Mountains Hairstreak (subspecies fumosum) is highly localized and threatened by urbanization in southern California.

Management needs: Protect habitat of remaining colonies of subspecies fumosum.

References:


Emmel, T. C. and J. F. Emmel. 1973. The butterflies of southern California. 

    Science Series 26. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, 

    California. 148 pages, 10 color plates.   



New, T. R., editor. 1993. Conservation biology of Lycaenidae (Butterflies). 

    Occasional Paper of the IUCN Species Survival Commission No. 8. IUCN, The 

    World Conservation Union, Gland, Switzerland.



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:


Dornfeld, E. J. 1980. The Butterflies of Oregon. Forest Grove, 	Ore., Timber 

     Press.



Hinchliff, J. 1994. An atlas of Oregon Butterflies. Oregon State University

     Bookstore, Corvallis.



Hinchliff, J. 1994. The distribution of the butterflies of Oregon. Evergreen 

     Aurelians. Oregon State University Bookstore, Corvallis, 176 pp. + map. 



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.

Gold-hunter's Hairstreak (Satyrium auretorum)
distribution map
map legend

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