Callophrys spinetorum

Callophrys spinetorum, the thicket hairstreak, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It was described by William Chapman Hewitson in 1867. It is found in North America from British Columbia through the Rocky Mountains to New Mexico and Mexico and through California to Baja California.[1] The habitat consists of pinyon-juniper forests, mixed woodlands, and coniferous forests.

Thicket hairstreak
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Lycaenidae
Genus:
Callophrys
Species:
C. spinetorum
Binomial name
Callophrys spinetorum
(Hewitson, 1867)
Synonyms
  • Thecla spinetorum Hewitson, 1867
  • Mitoura spinetorum
  • Cisincisalia spinetorum
  • Loranthomitoura spinetorum
  • Thecla ninus Edwards, 1871
  • Miltoura spinetorum cuyamaca Wright, 1922
  • Callophrys (Mitoura) millerorum Clench, 1981

The wingspan is 25–32 mm. The upperside is steel blue and the underside reddish brown. The hindwings with a white postmedian band which forms a W shape near the tail. Adults are on wing from May to August in one generation per year. They feed on flower nectar.

The larvae feed on Arceuthobium species.[2]

Subspecies
  • Callophrys spinetorum spinetorum (California, Colorado)
  • Callophrys spinetorum millerorum Clench, 1981 (New Mexico)

References
  1. Callophrys spinetorum, at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
  2. Butterflies and Moths of North America


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