Red-banded Hairstreak

Red-banded Hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops) is native to the southeastern United States. As a caterpillar it has an unusual food source, the fallen leaves of Sumacs, Myrtles, some Oaks and other trees.

A mighty teeny butterfly, its wingspan is 1 inch to 1.25 inches, though you’ll seldom see it with its wings open. As a butterfly, the Red-banded Hairstreak lives just 4 to 10 days. This one, nectaring on a Winged Sumac appears to have had quite rough though short life.

Published by

Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.