Parrhasius m-album
Size:
Wingspan is 1 1/8 - 1 1/4 inches.
Similar Species:
Oak Hairstreak
Gray Hairstreak
Habitat:
Woodland borders, power line cuts, clearings and along roadsides.
Range/Abundance:
Rare to uncommon in most of the region.
Flight Period:
Adults fly from late March until late October in three broods with gaps
between broods.
Larval Host Plants:
White Oak, Quercus alba, Live Oak Quercus virginiana
and perhaps other oaks.
Comments:
This triple-brooded hairstreak displays a brilliant iridescent blue when
in flight; the blue flashes give away the ID very quickly.
The host plants are very common, yet you seldom see more than one White
M
Hairstreak at a time.
The top photo was taken in Orange Co., NC during August
of 1998. The second photo was taken at Raven Rock State Park in Harnett
Co., NC on March 22, 2003. The bottom photo was taken in the Sandhills
Gamelands in Richmond Co., NC on March 19, 2004.
