Howard County Bird Club
Red-banded Hairstreak
Place name abbreviations: MPEA – Middle Patuxent Environment Area; PRSP – Patuxent River State Park; PVSP – Patapsco River Valley State Park.
Click on the common name to obtain additional information from the Butterflies and Moths of North America web page. BugGuide is another web resource.
Legend:
| Common name [Link is to BAMONA] (wingspan range in inches) | Occurrence level & flight period. | |
| Habitat. | Typically visits (for nectaring). | Larval host plants. |
| Red-Banded Hairstreak (0.85–1.25″) | Uncommon: L-May & Aug | Woods edges, brushy areas | Leaf tips, Indian hemp | Fallen leaves of sumacs & oaks | |
September 10, 2016
Patuxent Branch Trail
Linda Hunt
Male
October 23, 201
Centennial Park
Annette Allor
Female
October 23, 2011
Font Hill Wetland Park
Annette Allor
May 17, 2014
Mount Pleasant
Richard Orr
July 29, 2021
Mount Pleasant
Anette Allor
Males of most butterfly species emerge from chrysalises several days before the females and will show some wear like the Centennial specimen, whereas the females will be fresh. Thus, the Centennial specimen is probably a male. Since the Font Hill specimen does not have the iridescent colors and is obviously fresher, it is probably a female.
The phenograms show the maximum number of individual butterflies of this species seen in the first eight years of the Howard County Butterfly Survey. From these graphs, one can see the number of broods of each species, when they are active, and the relative abundance of the species in each brood. The observed early and late dates are shown below The graphs can be used to anticipate the first sighting of a given species in the year and can help with identification.
Early: 4/29/2017 Late: 11/5/2020