coral hairstreak

(Satyrium titus)

Conservation Status
coral hairstreak
Photo by Dan W. Andree
  IUCN Red List

not listed

     
  NatureServe

N4N5 - Apparently Secure to Secure

S4S5 - Apparently Secure to Secure

     
  Minnesota

not listed

     
           
           
           
           
           
           
 
Description
 
 

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

 
     
 

Size

 
 

Wingspan: to 1¼

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
 

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.

 
     
 
Habitat
 
 

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

 
     
 
Biology
 
 

Season

 
 

One brood: late June to early August

 
     
 

Behavior

 
 

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.

 
     
 

Life Cycle

 
 

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.

 
     
 

Larva Hosts

 
 

American plum (Prunus americana), black cherry (Prunus serotina var. serotina), chokecherry (Prunus virginiana var. virginiana), juneberry (Amelanchier spp.), and other trees and shrubs in the Rosaceae (rose) family.

 
     
 

Adult Food

 
 

Flower nectar, especially butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa ssp. interior) and spreading dogbane (Apocynum androsaemifolium), but also common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata ssp. incarnata), clover (Trifolium spp.), sweet clover (Melilotus spp.), white meadowsweet (Spiraea alba), strawberry (Fragaria spp.), blackberry (Rubus spp.), black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), and spotted knapweed (Centaurea stoebe ssp. micranthos).

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

20, 21, 24, 29, 71.

 
  7/11/2021      
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

Uncommon

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
 

Order

Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths)  
 

Superfamily

Papilionoidea (butterflies)  
 

Family

Lycaenidae (gossamer-winged butterflies)  
 

Subfamily

Theclinae (hairstreak butterflies)  
 

Tribe

Eumaeini  
  Subtribe Eumaeina  
 

Genus

Satyrium  
  Subgenus Satyrium  
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

 

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

coral hairstreak

 
       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Pupa

The life stage of some insects undergoing transformation. In caterpillars, the chrysalis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
Visitor Photos
 
           
 

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Dan W. Andree

 
 

Coral Hairstreak...

 
    coral hairstreak      
           
    coral hairstreak      
 

Maureen Burkle

 
 

Coral Hairstreak Butterfly - Olmsted County

 
    coral hairstreak   coral hairstreak  
 

Dave Schmiginsky

 
 

photographed in CRP among a wide variety of grasses and wildflowers

 
    coral hairstreak      
 

Tom Baker

 
    coral hairstreak      
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
 

 

 
           
           

 

Camera

     
 
Slideshows
 
Satyrium titus (Coral Hairstreak)
Allen Chartier
  Satyrium titus (Coral Hairstreak)  
     

 

slideshow

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

Uploaded on Jul 11, 2009

Photographed at the Rydell NWR, Minnesota (11 July 2009). "The butterfly counts not / Months but moments / And has time enough." --Rabindranth Tagore

 
       

 

Camcorder

 
 
Visitor Sightings
 
           
 

Report a sighting of this insect.

 
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Be sure to include a location.
 
  Dan W. Andree
July 2021

Location: Rural Norman Co. Mn.

coral hairstreak  
  Maureen Burkle
7/12/2020

Location: Chester Woods Park, Chester MN, Olmsted County

coral hairstreak  
  Dave Schmiginsky
7/7/2020

Location: Far Northeastern Kandiyohi County, MN

photographed in CRP among a wide variety of grasses and wildflowers

coral hairstreak  
  Dan W. Andree
8/10/2019

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

coral hairstreak  
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings
 
 

 

 

 

 

Binoculars


Created: 10/11/2012

Last Updated:

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