Thicket Hairstreak
(Callophrys spinetorum)
Hairstreaks and Elfins
Appearance: Tailed. Above, steel blue (usually not seen; sits with wings closed). Below, reddish-brown with white postmedian line forming a “W” at the lower portion of the hindwing. White forewing cell-end bar often present.
Wingspan: Small; 7/8 to 1 1/4 inches.
Habitat: Pinyon-juniper forest, mixed woodland, coniferous forest; foothills, montane.
Flight Times: May to August; two broods in foothills, one brood at higher elevations.
Larval Foodplant: Dwarf mistletoes on pine and other conifers.
Did You Know…
This species spends most of its time in the crowns of conifers, so is only seen when it comes to nectar on flowers or wet spots on the forest floor.
