Size:
Wingspan is 1 1/8 - 1 3/8 inches.

Similar Species:
Banded Hairstreak
Edward's Hairstreak

Habitat:
Edges of hardwoods forests, openings in hardwood forests.

Range/Abundance:
Very rare in the mountains.

Flight Period:
Adults fly from late June until early August in a single brood.

Larval Host Plants:
Trees including hickory Carya, ash Fraxinus, chestnut Castanea, and oak Quercus species.

Comments:
The blue spot on the hindwing is always nearly twice as long as the red spot.

This hairstreak is very hard to tell from the common Banded Hairstreak making records hard to verify. I have found hundreds of Banded Hairstreak types in many variations while in the mountains of Virginia during early July, yet none have met the criteria to be a Hickory Hairstreak.

All photos were taken on July 12, 2003 in Westchester Co., NY.

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