coral hairstreak

Coral hairstreak is a small to medium-sized butterfly with a wingspan of ⅞″ to 1¼″.

The upperside of both wings is dark brown. However, this butterfly perches with wings closed and is rarely seen from above.

The underside of both wings is light brownish-gray. The forewing has a faint submarginal row of black and/or orange spots, a postmedian band of small black spots ringed with white, and a short, broken, ill-defined, medial stripe. The hindwing is not tailed. It has a postmedian band of small black spots ringed with white, and a prominent marginal row of eight orange spots. The orange spots are small and well separated. There is no blue eyespot near the outer angle.

The eyes are black.

The antennae are black-and-white striped with a orange-tipped club.

The caterpillar is wide, somewhat flattened, and short, no more than 1″ long. The head is small, black, and shiny. It is retracted into the thorax except when feeding. The thorax and abdomen are densely covered with short downy hairs. The thorax is yellowish-green to green with an ill-defined red patch in the middle of the upper (dorsal) surface. The abdomen is mostly yellowish-green to green. Abdominal segments 1, 7, and 8 have an ill-defined, red, dorsal patch. Abdominal segments 9 and 10 are all or mostly red. There is a thin, dark green dorsal stripe extending from abdominal segments 2 to 7. Mature caterpillars are found from May to June.

Wingspan: ⅞″ to 1¼″

This is the only hairstreak in Minnesota with no tail on the hindwing.

Acadian hairstreak (Satyrium acadica) wing undersides are gray, not brownish-gray. The submarginal band of spots on the forewing is well-defined, not faded. The hindwings are tailed and have a blue eyespot near the outer angle. The orange spots on the hindwing are large and are connected or nearly connected. The medial stripe is unbroken and well-defined.

Brushy fields, meadows, forest edges, roadsides; wherever host plants occur.

One brood: late June to early August

Caterpillars hide in leaf litter or at the base of a host plant during the day. They emerge at night to feed on leaves and fruits.

The female lays eggs singly, usually on a new twig of a host plant, sometimes in leaf litter where new growth is expected. The eggs overwinter and hatch in the spring. The larva molts 4 times before pupating.

American plum, black cherry, chokecherry, juneberry, and other trees and shrubs in the rose family.

Flower nectar, especially butterfly weed and spreading dogbane, but also common milkweed, swamp milkweed, clover, sweet clover, white meadowsweet, strawberry, blackberry, black-eyed Susan, and spotted knapweed.

Sources

21, 24, 27, 29, 30, 71, 75, 82, 83.

Coral Hairstreak...

Coral Hairstreak Butterfly - Olmsted County

Satyrium titus (Coral Hairstreak)
Allen Chartier

Coral Hairstreak (Lycaenidae: Satyrium titus) on Grass Blade
Carl Barrentine

Location: Rural Norman Co. Mn.

Location: Chester Woods Park, Chester MN, Olmsted County

Location: Far Northeastern Kandiyohi County, MN

photographed in CRP among a wide variety of grasses and wildflowers

Location: Frenchman’s Bluff Scientific and Natural Area in rural Norman Co. Mn