The Edwards’ Hairstreak is a small to medium-sized butterfly. It occurs in the United States east of the Great Plains and in adjacent Canadian provinces. The upperside of both wings is dark brown. The hindwing has two hair-like tails near the tip, one long and one short. There is sometimes an orange spot above the tails. The underside of the hindwing is pale brown with a postmedian band of dark brown oval spots rather than dashes. There is a large, light blue spot below the tail and a long, narrow, orange spot on the inner margin.

 

“Edwards’ Hairstreak” by Jason Forbes, licensed under (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

 

Edwards’ Hairstreak Facts

Butterfly Family: Gossamer-Winged (Lycaenidae)

Butterfly Subfamily: Theclinae

Butterfly Wingspan: 1 1/8 – 1 1/2 inches

Butterfly Habitat: Oak thickets in rocky open habitats including sand barrens, shale barrens, and limestone ridges

 

Edwards’ Hairstreak Host and Nectar Plants

Host Plants:

• Black Oak
• White Oak
• Blackjack Oak
• Scrub Oak

Nectar Plants:

• Goldenrod
• Milkweeds
• Meadowsweet
• Staghorn Sumac
• White Clover
• New Jersey Tea
• Dogbane