Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Hickory Hairstreak
Satyrium caryaevorus (McDunnough, 1942)

Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Theclinae
Identification: Hindwing with 1 tail. Underside light brown with broad, offset, white postmedian dashes. Hindwing with blue tail-spot and black-capped orange eyespot.
Life History: Males perch high up in trees to wait for females. Eggs hibernate; caterpillars feed on lower surface of leaves.
Flight: One flight from June-August.
Caterpillar Hosts: Mostly hickory (Carya); also ash (Fraxinus), chestnut (Castanea), and oak (Quercus) species.
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers of common milkweed, dogbane, New Jersey tea, staghorn sumac, and white sweet clover.
Habitat: Deciduous forests and second-growth woods in areas of rich soil.
Range: Southern New England west to Minnesota and Iowa, south in the Appalachians to eastern Tennessee.
Conservation: Not usually required, but on sensitive species list for some states.
Management Needs: None reported.
Comments: NULL
Alternate Scientific Names:
Satyrium caryaevorum