Alabama Butterfly Atlas

Butterfly: Wingspan: 1 - 1½ inches (2.5 - 3.8 cm) UPPER SURFACE (dorsal) Seldom seen. Brown. UNDER SURFACE (ventral) Gray brown; row of distinct dashes edged in white across both wings. Large blue hindwing patch capped in orange; orange-capped black spot near tails. Two short tails.

ID Tip: Prominently orange-capped blue patch on ventral hindwng.  Central dash on ventral forewing is offset and breaks the line of dashes.

Egg: Brownish; flattened disc. Laid singly or in small groups on host plant. The overwintering stage

Caterpillar: Green; light greenish white stripes. Haad light brown. Slug shaped.

Chrysalis: Creamy; dusted with black speckles. Bean shaped.

King's Hairstreak was named for its discoverer, but "Horse Sugar" Hairstreak would have also been appropriate. The range of this satyrium hairstreak is virtually identical to the range of Horse Sugar, aka Sweet Leaf, its only known host plant.

Caterpillars hatch from eggs that were laid the previous summer and eat young leaves. Horse Sugar's almost evergreen foliage is tough and leathery, but timing is everything. After retaining its leaves for months, it drops them in late winter/early spring. The new foliage that follows is soft and chewable: perfect food for caterpillars. Larvae are colored for camouflage and often sit invisibly under leaves, completing development in the weeks before vegetation fully matures and hardens. Chrysalides are formed in the leaf litter and adults emerge, mate, and lay eggs that will hatch the following spring. King's Hairstreaks are opportunistic nectarers since few plants bloom in the shaded woodlands in early summer. Sourwood, Virginia Sweetspire, and Sparkleberry are potential nectar sources. 

Diligent searchers may spot a triangular King’s Hairstreak silhouette as it perches in a patch of sunlight on its host plant Horse Sugar's droopy leaves.  Long considered rare and reclusive, King’s Hairstreaks may not be so uncommon in their preferred habitats.  Perhaps they are like Horse Sugar, which, according to beloved Alabama botanist Blanche E. Dean, “grows over most of Alabama but does not seem to be well known.”

Distribution and Abundance

A dot on the county map indicates that there is at least one documented record of the species within that county. In some cases, a species may be common throughout the county, in others it may be found in only a specific habitat. The High Count information shows the highest numbers recorded for this species as well as when and where they occurred.

The sightings bar graphs depict the timing of flight(s) within each of three geographic regions. Place your cursor on a bar within the graph to see the number of individuals recorded during that period.

The abundance calendar displays the total number of individuals recorded within each week of the month. Both the graphs and the calendar are on based data collection that began in 2000.

The records analyzed here are only a beginning. As more data is collected, these maps and graphs will paint a more accurate picture of distribution and abundance in Alabama. Submit your sightings to albutterflyatlas@gmail.com.

Sightings in the following counties: Baldwin, Bibb, Chilton, Cleburne, Covington, Marshall, Mobile, Shelby, Tallapoosa

  • Map Symbol for Recent Sightings Sightings in the past 5 years
  • Map Symbol for Semi-Recent Sightings Sightings in the past 5 - 10 years
  • Map Symbol for Old Sightings Sightings more than 10 years ago

High count(s):

  • 10 - Mobile - 5/21/2019
  • 6 - Baldwin - 5/1/2020
  • 4 - Baldwin - 5/28/2019
County Distribution Map

View county names by moving the mouse over a county or view a map with county names

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
8 2 14 19 10 4 1 1

Habitat

A wide variety of habitats from dry pine-oak woods and rocky slopes to creek swamps, pine flatwoods, and maritime forests. Also, hardwood forests, stream margins, pocosins, and wooded swamps. Tied closely to host plant.

King's Hairstreak
King's Hairstreak (Satyrium kingi)
County
© Sara Bright
Hardwood forest with Horse Sugar

Host and Nectar Plants

Horse Sugar/Sweet Leaf (Symplocos tinctoria) is the only known host plant throughout the range and has been documented in Alabama.

For more information about these plants, please visit the Alabama Plant Atlas using the links above.

King's Hairstreak
King's Hairstreak (Satyrium kingi)
County
© Kimberly James Whiddon
Horse Sugar/Sweet Leaf
King's Hairstreak
King's Hairstreak (Satyrium kingi)
County
© Kimberly James Whiddon
Horse Sugar/Sweet Leaf shrub
King's Hairstreak
King's Hairstreak (Satyrium kingi)
County
© Kimberly James Whiddon
Horse Sugar/Sweet Leaf

Landscaping Ideas

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