Red-banded Hairstreak - Alabama Butterfly Atlas

Butterfly ID Thumbnail — Get Identification Help

Their zigzagging red/orange bands separate Red-Banded Hairstreaks from all other hairstreaks in the state. They are habitat generalists and occur widely throughout Alabama. Occasionally, large outbreaks occur, and they seem be everywhere. These tiny hairstreaks are common inhabitants of fall-flowering fields. Months later, when dozens nectar amid wild plum blossoms, they are a welcomed sign spring.

Red-banded Hairstreak's life history is unique. Females descend to the ground near larval hosts, search for fallen leaves suitable for egg laying. Sometimes they disappear from view as they crawl through leaf litter. They deposit a single pale egg before moving on to the next location. Caterpillars eat partially decayed leaves of sumacs or oaks, living on the woodland floor. When development is complete, chrysalides are also formed in the leaf litter.

Red-banded Hairstreaks range throughout the Southeast. In Alabama, they occur statewide and fly spring, summer, and fall.

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: Autauga, Baldwin, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Bullock, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Chilton, Choctaw, Clarke, Clay, Cleburne, Coffee, Colbert, Coosa, Covington, Crenshaw, Cullman, Dale, Dallas, DeKalb, Elmore, Escambia, Etowah, Fayette, Franklin, Geneva, Greene, Hale, Henry, Houston, Jackson, Jefferson, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lee, Limestone, Lowndes, Macon, Madison, Marengo, Marion, Marshall, Mobile, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Perry, Pickens, Pike, Randolph, Shelby, St. Clair, Sumter, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, Walker, Washington, Wilcox, Winston

Sightings in the past 5 years
Sightings in the past 5 - 10 years
Sightings more than 10 years ago

High count(s):

107 - Shelby - 4/12/2008
81 - Jefferson - 9/9/2017
62 - Colbert - 4/14/2012

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
1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4
1			3		5	5	23	112	72	288	497	335	436	293	61	46	30	16	85	28	96	164	86	78	80	43	69	34	102	164	323	414	551	308	243	99	75	31	34	17	5	1	3	2			1

Habitat

Extremely varied. Includes woodland edges and adjacent open areas; sunny fields; swamp, savannah, and pocosin edges; utility right-of-ways; sandhills; flatwoods; disturbed areas; parks, and suburban yards.

Red-banded Hairstreak (*Calycopis cecrops*)

County

© Sara Bright

Sunny woodland edge

Host and Nectar Plants

Sumacs (Rhus spp.), wax myrtles (Morella spp.), and oaks (Quercus spp.) are reported in other areas.

The following have been verified in Alabama:

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

Landscaping Ideas

Red-banded Hairstreaks nectar from a variety of small flowers. Provide a range of flowers throughout the seasons to ensure that they and other butterflies have on-going nectar sources.

Including oak trees in the landscape is highly beneficial to many butterflies, including Red-banded Hairstreaks.

Horticulturalist Felder Rushing says sumac's "spectacular color and form make it a garden stand-out." Plant sumacs at the edges of woods, fields, or the back of big backyards where they will add a pop of color in the fall. Interplant with taller shrubs or as a thicket. They are great for erosion control, tolerant of poor soils and prolonged drought, and have no real pests. Keep in mind that they can spread aggressively so mid-summer mowing or cutting may be required.