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
State and Regional References:
Neck, R.W. 1996. A Field Guide to Butterflies of Texas. Gulf Publishing Co., Houston, Texas. 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. Tveten, J. and Tveten, G. 1996. Butterflies of Houston & Southeast Texas. Univ. of Texas Press, Austin, TX. 292 pp.