Acadian hairstreak

not listed

N5 - Secure

S4 - Apparently Secure

not listed

Acadian hairstreak is a medium-sized, gossamer-winged butterfly.

It occurs in the northern United States from Maine to New Jersey, west to Montana and Colorado, and in southern Canada from Prince Edward Island to Alberta. Larvae feed on the leaves of shrubby willows. Adults are found from late June to early August in shrubby, usually wet areas, including meadows, marshes, stream sides, and roadside ditches. They feed on flower nectar.

Adults have a 13⁄16″ to 1¼″ (30 to 32 mm) wingspan. The upper side of the wings are rarely seen because this butterfly perches with wings closed and is rarely seen from above. Like other hairstreaks, the hindwing has two tails near the tip. The shorter, upper tail is very short and often does not look at all like a tail.

The underside of both wings is light gray. Each wing has an elongated, dash-like cell end bar, a curved postmedial row of round spots, and a submarginal row of orange crescent-shaped spots. The cell end bar and postmedial spots are black and are circled with white. The inner edge of each submarginal spot is capped with an inner black and outer white border. Across both wings the submarginal spots become progressively smaller and with less orange as they approach the tip of the forewing. On the hindwing, there is a large, light blue spot capped with orange below the tail, and a long, narrow, orange spot on the inner margin at the anal angle. The blue spot extends nearly to the postmedial band.

The eyes are black.

The antennae are striped black-and-white and have an orange-tipped club.

Wingspan: 13⁄16″ to 1¼″ (30 to 32 mm)

Shrubby, usually wet areas, including meadows, marshes, stream sides, and roadside ditches.

Shrubby willows.

One generation per year: late June to early August

Adults perch with their wings closed above their body. They are rarely seen with their wings spread.

Eggs overwinter

Leaves of willows

Flower nectar

Sources

21, 24, 27, 29, 30, 75, 82.

Three subspecies have been described based on size and overall darkness. However, the characters used to separate them intergrade throughout the range of the species. Most sources consider the subspecies invalid.

On milkweed near willows, among skippers.

Location: Itasca County

On milkweed near willows, among skippers.