Red-banded Hairstreak
Calycopis cecrops (Fabricius, 1793)
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Theclinae
Identification: Two tails on the hindwing. Upperside brown, hindwing blue. Underside gray-brown with white postmedian line edged with red-orange.
Wing Span: 7/8 - 1 1/4 inches (2.2 - 3.2 cm).
Life History: Males perch on shrubs and low trees to watch for females. Females lay eggs singly on underside of fallen leaves near the host plant. Caterpillars feed on leaves and buds and probably detritus. Chrysalids and fourth-stage caterpillars hibernate.
Flight: All year in Florida, two broods northward from April-October.
Caterpillar Hosts: Fallen leaves of wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera), dwarf sumac (Rhus copallina), staghorn sumac (R. typhina), and several oaks.
Adult Food: Flower nectar from yarrow, wild cherry, tickseed sunflower, sumac, sweet pepperbush, New Jersey tea, common milkweed, and dogbane.
Habitat: Coastal hammocks, overgrown fields, forest edges.
Range: Southeastern United States from Long Island south through Florida, west through entire area to southeast Kansas, eastern Oklahoma, and eastern Texas. Strays to eastern Nebraska, northern Illinois, and Michigan.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: Not reported.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 3447 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 23, 2024
Submitted by: PNAT24
Region: Wayne County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Dec 22, 2024
Observation date: May 01, 2023
Submitted by: kbg
Region: Cumberland County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 17, 2024
Observation date: May 09, 2023
Submitted by: jrtindall
Region: Mercer County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 17, 2024
Observation date: May 16, 2023
Submitted by: zebrafinch19
Region: Mercer County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 17, 2024
Observation date: Aug 19, 2023
Submitted by: jrtindall
Region: Mercer County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 17, 2024
Observation date: Sep 07, 2023
Submitted by: JHummel
Region: Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 17, 2024
Observation date: Aug 19, 2023
Submitted by: Lynn Cremona
Region: Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 16, 2024
Observation date: Apr 29, 2024
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Burlington County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 13, 2024
Observation date: Aug 10, 2024
Submitted by: Yulia.K
Region: New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 11, 2024
Observation date: Nov 06, 2024
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Nov 09, 2024
Observation date: Oct 09, 2024
Submitted by: Chip Gilbert
Region: Greenville County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Oct 10, 2024
Observation date: Sep 29, 2024
Submitted by: TJM321
Region: Texas, Travis County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 05, 2024
Observation date: Oct 03, 2024
Submitted by: ReginaS
Region: Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Oct 04, 2024
Observation date: Sep 29, 2024
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 30, 2024
Observation date: Sep 04, 2024
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Warren County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 20, 2024
Observation date: Sep 17, 2024
Submitted by: N. Wade Snyder
Region: Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Sep 18, 2024
Observation date: Sep 03, 2024
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 05, 2024
Observation date: Aug 30, 2024
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Richland County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 31, 2024
Observation date: Aug 22, 2024
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 22, 2024
Observation date: Aug 22, 2024
Submitted by: Lydiaak
Region: Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 22, 2024
Observation date: Aug 10, 2024
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 19, 2024
Observation date: Aug 10, 2024
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 19, 2024
Observation date: Aug 11, 2024
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 19, 2024
Observation date: Aug 13, 2024
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 19, 2024
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