Look for Hesssel's Hairstreaks at the tops of Atlantic White Cedar trees. Males perch high in the tallest trees and dart out to investigate anything that moves. Since several males often perch in the same tree, movement by one often incites all the others, and swirling butterflies can be seen until they finally settle to await the next excitement. Unmated females venture to the treetops, but after mating has occurred, they sit lower in trees, away from marauding males. Eggs are deposited on lower branches and/or small trees. Caterpillars are highly camouflaged and look remarkably like scaly Atlantic White Cedar foliage.
Nectaring observations are scarce. Currently, Alabama's populations are known to nectar at Black Titi (Cliftonia monophylla), a prevalent spring-blooming shrub that often grows at the base of the cedars. More observations are needed to determine what nectar sources these rare butterflies use throughout the seasons.
Hessel’s Hairstreaks were not documented in Alabama until 2010 when Sara Bright and Paulette Ogard discovered them near Seminole, Alabama and at what is now called the Perdido River Nature Preserve. The scarcity of Hessel’s Hairstreaks comes as no surprise since they require Atlantic White Cedars, and Atlantic White Cedar habitat has almost disappeared in our state. These trees were known from four counties in Alabama but have all but disappeared in most. Their lightweight, rot-resistant wood made them an eagerly sought commodity in the past two centuries, and they were harvested almost out of existence. Fortunately, the Perdido River Nature Preserve, a Nature Conservancy holding in Baldwin County, has pristine Atlantic White Cedar habitat and supports a healthy population of Hessel's Hairstreaks. These rare butterflies are rare because their habitat is rare and should be searched for wherever Atlantic White Cedars still grow.
For more information about Hessel's Hairstreaks in Alabama:
Sightings in the past 5 years
Sightings in the past 5 - 10 years
Sightings more than 10 years ago
