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Gray Hairstreak
Strymon melinus (Hübner, 1818)
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Theclinae
Identification: One tail on hindwing. Upperside blue-gray with large red spot near tail. Underside of spring/fall form is dark gray, summer form is paler gray. Relatively straight postmedian line is white, bordered with orange on the inside edge.
Wing Span: 7/8 - 1 3/8 inches (2.2 - 3.5 cm).
Life History: Males perch all afternoon on small trees and shrubs to seek receptive females. Eggs are laid singly on flowers of host plant. Young caterpillars feed on flowers and fruits; older ones may eat leaves. Chrysalids hibernate.
Flight: Two flights from May-September in the north, three-four flights from February-November in the south.
Caterpillar Hosts: Flowers and fruits from an almost endless variety of plants; most often from pea (Fabaceae) and mallow (Malvaceae) families including beans (Phaseolus), clovers (Trifolium), cotton (Gossypium), and mallow (Malva).
Adult Food: Nectar from many flower species including dogbane, milkweed, mint, winter cress, goldenrod, tick trefoil, and white sweet clover.
Habitat: Open, nonforested sites; common in disturbed, weedy areas.
Range: Throughout continental United States from southern Canada south to Mexico; southward to Venezuela. Comments: The most widespread hairstreak in North America.
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: Caterpillars may cause economic damage to bean and cotton crops.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 6966 verified sightings
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/p7197996.jpg?itok=AzYzmtYA)
Observation date: Jul 19, 2024
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jul 20, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_7856_1.jpeg?itok=63pWytZZ)
Observation date: Jul 13, 2024
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 18, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/0e7ab2e80eb9a8d4.png?itok=AAjzgnZH)
Observation date: Jul 16, 2024
Submitted by: Zencoyote
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 17, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/ad_2024-06-29_7305-3.jpg?itok=ZvYihAve)
Observation date: Jun 28, 2024
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Lexington County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jul 12, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_20240704_143346140_hdr.jpg?itok=o_Kbozo6)
Observation date: Jul 04, 2024
Submitted by: llsweanor
Region: Sierra County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 08, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/20240626_strymon_melinus_-_roam_free_park_chamberlain_sd.jpg?itok=yo4nW0cz)
Observation date: Jun 26, 2024
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: Brule County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jul 08, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/rscn8685_0.jpg?itok=7a8QKYfI)
Observation date: Jul 01, 2024
Submitted by: Benjamin Miller
Region: Knox County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 05, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc_3586.jpg?itok=UuOlvaz-)
Observation date: Jul 04, 2024
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 05, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/strymon_melinus_20240625.jpg?itok=-bQqvgyO)
Observation date: Jun 25, 2024
Submitted by: jwileyrains
Region: Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 26, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dscn0622_1.jpg?itok=nn9DQXm8)
Observation date: Jun 20, 2024
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 21, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/20240618_115535.jpg?itok=-aBVs-UQ)
Observation date: Jun 18, 2024
Submitted by: Christinalea
Region: Texas, Presidio County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 19, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/hairstreak_6-18-2224.jpg?itok=yYqvnQkC)
Observation date: Jun 18, 2024
Submitted by: Carolyn Seaton
Region: Clark County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 18, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_4785_2_0.jpg?itok=So8gNc3D)
Observation date: Jun 17, 2024
Submitted by: houdini73
Region: Brown County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 17, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/gray_hairstreak-butterfly_bush.jpg?itok=fuSv-mbq)
Observation date: Jun 07, 2024
Submitted by: Catherine120
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 08, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_9016_1.jpeg?itok=ZfbfB-co)
Observation date: May 27, 2024
Submitted by: Anafb
Region: Contra Costa County, California, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 07, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dfagan_gray_hairstreak_strymon_melinus_2_deschutes_co_060424.jpg?itok=rosKddbR)
Observation date: Jun 04, 2024
Submitted by: dfagan746
Region: Deschutes County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 05, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/hairstreak_on_stinkbush_k.falls_15_may_2024.jpg?itok=O57-173S)
Observation date: May 15, 2024
Submitted by: Luna-Linuche.76
Region: Klamath County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 05, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/strymon_melinus_1_gray_hairstreak_0.jpg?itok=iQDMF9xf)
Observation date: May 03, 2024
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: Texas, Randall County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 04, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/pxl_20240523_170523019.jpg?itok=7nKNFjiX)
Observation date: May 23, 2024
Submitted by: bekkfree
Region: Cowley County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 02, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/p1033942.jpg?itok=SsSZ0bCa)
Observation date: May 11, 2024
Submitted by: billd
Region: Kingfisher County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jun 01, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/p1033965.jpg?itok=IfMIz684)
Observation date: May 11, 2024
Submitted by: billd
Region: Kingfisher County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jun 01, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_8280_0.jpeg?itok=SYCg0aym)
Observation date: May 23, 2024
Submitted by: Lisa Eason
Region: Hunt County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 28, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc_8790-2.jpg?itok=JzWOzibb)
Observation date: May 18, 2024
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Jefferson County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: May 25, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/gray_hairstreak_strymon_melinus_7.jpg?itok=42GU10g1)
Observation date: May 22, 2024
Submitted by: seemayer
Region: Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: May 24, 2024
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