Coral Hairstreak - Satyrium titus |
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DescriptionThe coral hairstreak has a wingspan of 1-1.5 inches and no tail. The male's wings are more pointed than the female's wings. It is dark brown on its upperside. The underside of its wings is light brown with a row of coral-red spots at the edges and a row of black spots ringed in white in the middle of the wings. RangeThe coral hairstreak is found throughout the northern 2/3 of the United States and in parts of Canada. It is found throughout New Hampshire. |
HabitatThe coral hairstreak is found in shrubby areas, openings in woodlands, old pastures and fields, roadsides, streamsides, and brushy clearings. DietThe coral hairstreak caterpillar eats a variety of plants in the Rosaceae (rose family) including: wild cherry, wild plum, and chokecherry. The adult feeds on the nectar of butterfly weed, dogbane, and sulphur flower. Life Cycle
The male coral hairstreak perches on a bush and waits for a female. The female lays one egg at a time on the twigs or in the leaf litter at the base of a host plant.
The caterpillar stays in the leaf litter during the day and feeds at night. |