Oak Hairstreak Satyrium favonius

Oak Hairstreak
Satyrium favonius 

Family: Lycaenidae 

Subfamily: Theclinae

Identification: Two tails on each hindwing. Underside of hindwing gray-brown; blue tail-spot capped narrowly with orange; white-edged black W near inner margin. In peninsular Florida and along the south Atlantic coast, the hindwing has longer tails and more extensive orange and blue markings on the underside. 

Wing Span: 7/8 - 1 1/2 inches (2.2 - 3.8 cm).

Life History: Eggs are laid singly on host plant twigs and hatch the following spring. Caterpillars feed on a leaves, buds, and male catkins.

Flight: One flight from March-June.

Caterpillars   Hosts: Various oaks (Quercus species).

Adult Food: Flower nectar.

Habitat: Oak woodlands and edges, oak hammocks in the Deep South.

Range: Southern New England and the Atlantic Coast south to peninsular Florida; west to central Illinois, southeastern Colorado, and the Gulf Coast.

Conservation: Not usually required.

NCGR: G4 - Apparently secure globally, though it might be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.

Management Needs: None reported.