Hairstreaks

Last spring I met a couple hairstreaks, a Red-banded Hairstreak and a Banded Hairstreak. Or at least I think it's a Banded Hairstreak; the tricky Hickory Hairstreak is notoriously similar. A lot depends on how long you consider that bluish area under the orange spot to be, apparently [1].

The hairstreaks are named for a characteristic that isn't apparent given the precision of my pictures. In most species, the tail (really the end of the abdomen) has small hairs present [2]. Despite the Banded Hairstreak and the Red-banded Hairstreak having similar names, they're in different genera. They're certainly related, but both have closer relatives than each other.

Though small, most hairstreaks have a clean/crisp look. Once you see a few of them, you'll probably get a hairstreak vibe when you see the next 1. I've previously shown you other hairstreaks: Gray Hairstreak and Juniper Hairstreak.

Red-banded Hairstreak
June 15, 2023 at Sourland Mountain Preserve
Photo 300989906, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

Banded Hairstreak
June 15, 2023 at Sourland Mountain Preserve
Photo 300993019, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

[1] If you're wondering if the 2 similar-looking butterflies are closely related, yes they are. They're both in the same genus, and (as caterpillars) eat in some of the same places; both will eat from hickory trees.

[2] Yes, this presumably means that, on the Insect Playground, the hairstreaks are teased for their hairy butts.

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