Butterflies of the SF Bay Area

Part I
Lycaenidae
Photos by Kevin Hintsa & Hank Fabian

LYCAENIDAE
Coppers, Hairstreaks, Blues & Metalmarks

Great Copper
Active period: May-early July

Location: Marshes, riparian habitat, grassland.

Life Cycle: Univoltine.

Sexual Dimorphism: gray to dark gray with some orange in

hindwing margins More orange; complex spotting.

Similar Species: Gorgon Copper, Tailed Copper, Purplish

Copper

Distinguishing Features: Largest copper, strong flyer . Ventral

hindwing orange band is continuous, not broken.

Host plant(s): Rumex crispus (Curly Dock), an introduced

species.

Note: Nectars on Horehound, dogbanes, Oenanthe, tamarisk,

and Lepidium latifolium; colonies do not change location.

Gorgon Copper
Active period: May-June
Location: Chaparral; rocky areas.
Life Cycle: Univoltine; overwinters as egg.
Sexual Dimorphism: Dorsally coppery red; Straw
and strongly checkered.
Similar Species: Great Copper , Tailed Copper, Purplish
Copper
Distinguishing Features: Orange band on ventral hindwing
is broken into segments . Dorsal view of both sexes is
distinctive .
Host Plants: Buckwheats: Eriogonum nudum and E.
latifolium.
Note: some individuals nectar exclusively on
Eriophyllum lanatum; others prefer buckwheat and
California buckeye.

Tailed Copper
Activeperiod:May-earlyAugust
Location:Edgewood;ripariantoredwoodhabitats.
LifeCycle:Univoltine
SexualDimorphism:copperyredorangeandblack
checkeredpattern
SimilarSpecies:GorgonCopper,PurplishCopper
DistinguishingFeatures:Tailonhindwing;whiteventral
bandonhindwing.
HostPlant:Ribesspecies

Purplish Copper

Active period: March-December: Most abundant in Fall.

Location: Marshes. Strong decline in numbers since the

1990`s.
Life Cycle: Multivoltine

Sexual Dimorphism: purplish, ventral gray brown

coppery orange, ventral yellowish.
Similar Species: Tailed Copper

Distinguishing Features: Small species with thin

red jagged line on hindwing.

Host plant(s):Knotweeds and smartweeds.

Note: nectars on heliotropes and Lippia in spring; asters and

Great Purple Hairstreak

Active period: January-November

Location: Riparian habitat; oak woodland

Life Cycle: Multivoltine

Sexual Dimorphism: blue mostly black

Similar Species: None

Distinguishing Features: three red spots on

base of wing; largest hairstreak. Brilliant blue
reflective markings dorsally .

Host plant(s): Mistletoes (Phoradendron)

Note: Not purple. Nectars on milkweeds,

dogbanes, California Buckeye, goldenrod

Gray Hairstreak (Common Hairstreak)

Active period: All year.
Location: Frequents disturbed habitats; common in most habitats.
Life Cycle: Multivoltine
Sexual Dimorphism: orange abdomen tip; gray abdomen tip.
Similar Species: California Hairstreak has more ventral orange
spots.

Distinguishing Features: Slate gray ventrally with large red spots at

base of hindwing (1-2). Note a thin red band in center of ventral
wing . No spotting on ventral wing except at the margin .
Host plant(s): Variable
Notes: Dark and small in winter/spring; light and large in
summer/fall.
;

Golden (Canyon Oak) Hairstreak

Active period: April-Oct: Late spring-early summer; early
fall
Location: Canyons with host plant.
Life Cycle: Univoltine
Sexual Dimorphism: : much larger
Similar Species: Elfins
Distinguishing Features: Dull brown to yellow-brown .
Yellow legs.
Host plant(s): Canyon Live Oak (Quercus chrysolepis)
Notes: Estivating during hot months of summer; may
never feed, though it lives for months. Our most shade
tolerant butterfly.

Inland Bramble Hairstreak

Active period: February-mid June
Location: Chaparral; absent from wetlands and
farm fields.
Life Cycle: Univoltine
Sexual Dimorphism: slate gray dorsally with
predominant stigma orange brown
Similar Species: Coastal Bramble Hairstreak
(coastal form is more blue-green with paler
antennae)
Distinguishing Features: Green ventral wings
Host plant(s): Deerweed, buckwheats.
Notes: Debate about taxonomy, multiple
scientific names .

Coastal Bramble Hairstreak

Active period: February-June
Location: coastal fog belt; scrub and dune
communities . San Francisco , San Bruno Mountain.
Life Cycle: Univoltine
Sexual Dimorphism: slate gray dorsally with
predominant stigma orange brown
Similar Species: Inland Bramble Hairstreak (Inland
form is less blue)
Distinguishing Features: Green ventral wings have a
bluish sheen . Base of antennae with less black rings
than the inland version. Bright white fringes.
Host plant(s): Deerweed, buckwheats.
Notes: Debate about taxonomy

California Hairstreak
Active period: April-July for 3 weeks per locality.
Location: Riparian habitat
Life Cycle: Univoltine
Sexual Dimorphism: with black stigma, less orange
dorsally on base of hindwing than .
Similar Species: Gray Hairstreak , TaillessSylvan Hairstreak
Distinguishing Features: More orange in hindwing and often
in forewing; spotted ventral wing, orange cap on hindwing
blue spot .
Host plant(s): Oaks, occasionally Ceanothus; Mountain
Mahogany.
Notes: becoming scarce, nectars on California Buckeyes,
Milkweeds, dogbanes, Yerba Santa, horehound, and
coffeeberry.

Tailless Sylvan Hairstreak (Dryope Hairstreak)

Active period: May-July.
Location: Riparian areas with willows
Life Cycle: Univoltine; overwinters as egg.

Sexual Dimorphism: with stronger orange wash.

Similar Species: Sylvan Hairstreak (a tailed form or subspecies)
, California Hairstreak
Distinguishing Features: Pale, small dots on underwing,
hindwing blue spot lacks orange cap . Similar hairstreaks are
not as pale .
Host plants: Native willows, especially Salix exigua

Gold-hunters Hairstreak
Active period: April-July (typically rare, but abundant locally some years)
Location: Oak woodland
Life Cycle: Univoltine.
Sexual Dimorphism: Triangular profile; Squarish wings, larger
Similar Species: Mountain Mahogany Hairstreak are not brown, Hedgerow
Hairstreak. Duller.
Distinguishing Features: Orange spot near tail with central black dot, very
few dark ventral spots .
Host plant(s): Oaks including Blue Oak, Scrub Oak and Interior Live Oak.

ImagesfromHenryCoeStateParkwebsite

Mountain Mahogany Hairstreak

Active period: May-July
Location: Rocky canyon chaparral. Mt. Diablo
and Mines Road near Livermore.
Life Cycle: Univoltine
Sexual Dimorphism: More frosted hindwing
Similar Species: Gold- hunters Hairstreak is
charcoal gray not brown . Hedgerow Hairstreak
usually lacks the white frosting .
Distinguishing Features: Charcoal gray with
frosted hindwing.
Host plant(s): Mountain Mahogany
Notes: frequents Toyon.

Hedgerow Hairstreak or Sepia Hairstreak

Active period: Mid-April-September
Location: Chaparral
Life Cycle: Univoltine; overwinters as egg.
Sexual Dimorphism: with black stigma; paler.
Similar Species: Gold- hunter`s Hairstreak is not sepia
brown. Mountain Mahogany Hairstreak usually lacks
the white frosting .
Distinguishing Features: Blue spot at base of tail;
cinnamon dorsal coloration.
Host plant(s):Ceanothus; Rhamnaceae

Thicket Hairstreak
Active period: Concentrated in March but active FebruaryOctober
Location: Serpentine hilly areas, uncommon in lower areas in
spring .
Life Cycle: multivoltine
Sexual Dimorphism: None
Similar Species: Small hairstreaks, but none are steel blue.
Distinguishing Features: Steel blue dorsally; ventrally chocolate
brown. Strong white M or W on center of ventral hindwing.
Host plant: Pine mistletoe.
Note: Frequents milkweeds, dogbane, Asteraceae, Ceanothus.

Juniper Hairstreak (John Muir Hairstreak)

Active period: March to early Julymost early.
Location: Mt. Diablo on California Juniper in nonserpentine soils. Other populations prefer serpentine.
Life Cycle: Univoltine.
Sexual Dimorphism: darker with stigma paler
Similar Species: Small hairstreaks especialy Thicket which
has a bolder ventral jagged white line.
Distinguishing Features: iridescent pink to lilac on ventral
wings. Thin white central hindwing band.
Host Plants: Sargent Cypress; California Juniper.
Note: There are several isolated subspecies that can
hybridize in lab settings, as well as unusual populations
within subspecies. Males lek; females puddle.

Mosss Elfin (San Bruno Elfin)

Active period: February-April
Location: San Bruno Mountain. An undescribed subspecies on
Mount Diablo and another subspecies in the South Bay. Locally
where host plant grows.
Life Cycle: Univoltine
Sexual Dimorphism: subtle
Similar Species: Western Brown Elfin
Distinguishing Features: Grayish pattern on ventral wings. Often a
thin white ventral hindwing band .
Host plant: Sedum spathulifolium
Note: This subspecies is Federally listed and protected .

Western Brown Elfin

Active period: February-July
Location: Chaparral and a variety of habitats, but
scarce in forests.
Life Cycle: univoltine to bivoltine.
Sexual Dimorphism: subtle
Similar Species: Western Pine Elfin; Mosss Elfin
Distinguishing Features: No trace of gray frosting.
Strong hook to bicolored hindwing when fresh .
Host Plants: Soap Plant, Ceanothus, Manzanitas,
Salal and Dodder.

Western Pine Elfin

Active period: March-June
Location: Pine forests. Local.
Life Cycle: Univoltine
Sexual Dimorphism: dark brown dorsally;
orange-brown
Similar Species: Moss`s Elfin and Western Brown Elfin
Distinguishing Features: Intricately patterned
ventrally .
Host plant(s): Monterey and Bishop Pines
Note: High flying.

Western Pygmy Blue

Active period: mostly mid-late summer-December
Year round in some locations.
Location: Alkali and salt marshes . Invades inland in the
second half of the year .
Life Cycle: Multivoltine
Sexual Dimorphism: more ventrally blue than
Similar Species: Acmon Blue
Distinguishing Features: Smallest butterfly in our area .
Complex ventral pattern with lunules .
Host plant(s): Chenopodiaceae, pickleweeds, sea
purslanes, Atriplex, Salsola.

Eastern Tailed Blue

Active period: March-November
Location: Disturbed area and grasslands
Life Cycle: Multivoltine
Sexual Dimorphism: blue; dark
Similar Species: Western Tailed Blue
Distinguishing Features: Ventrally, double
orange spots near tail. Extremely difficult
to distinguish from Western Tailed Blue
except by habitat.
Host plant(s): Lathyrus , Trifolium ,
Acmispon , & vetches.

Western Tailed Blue

Active period: March-May; June-August
Location: Gaps in cool forested areas . Very local .
Life Cycle: bivoltine
Sexual Dimorphism: blue dark
Similar Species: Eastern Tailed Blue
Distinguishing Features: Single orange spot at base
of tail. Best told from Eastern Tailed Blue by
habitat .
Host plant(s): Vicia, Lathyrus and Astragalus

Spring Azure (Echo Blue/Echo Azure)

Active period: February - April; May-July

Location: Foothill woodlands, riparian

areas. Chaparral, coastal scrub and urban
areas.
Life Cycle: bivoltine
Sexual Dimorphism: blue dark
Similar Species: other Blues
Distinguishing Features: No orange on either
sex. Wings papery . Spots often irregular in
shape . Scalloped edges to ventral wings.
Host plant(s): First brood on Ceanothus;
second brood on California Buckeye.

Acmon Blue
Active period: March-November but can be seen year round.

Location: Widely spread.

Life Cycle: Multivoltine

Sexual Dimorphism: spring blue is more brilliant than

summer spring brilliant blue dorsally with strong orangeedged lunules; summer darker with reduced lunules. Lunules
reflective.

Similar Species: Other tiny blues.

Distinguishing Features: The common blue with orange-capped

reflective lunules. Lacks dark ventral forewing fringe of
Dotted Blue. Lupine Blue of the South Bay is rarer and difficult
to distinguish except in dorsal view of the male which is
darker.

..

Sonoran Blue

Female

Active period: January-April

Location: cliffs and rock outcroppings near

creeks .
Very local in the Bay area .
Life Cycle: Univoltine; diapause = 9 months.

Sexual Dimorphism: less orange than

Similar Species: None.

Distinguishing Features: bright orange spots in

forewings unique.

Host plant(s): Dudleya

Note: does not hibernate as adult.

Male

Dotted Blue
Active period: Early May-July

Location: Miller-Knox Regional Shoreline

Life Cycle: Univoltine

Sexual Dimorphism: blue lacking orange

dorsally dark with dorsal and ventral
orange.

Similar Species: Acmon Blue is less spotted

with more broken orange band and lacks dark
ventral margin fringes .

Distinguishing Features: Many dots on ventral

surface and prominent orange band. Lacks
shiny lunules.

Boisduvals Blue (Icarioides Blue)

Activeperiod:March-July
Location:Wherelupines(especiallyLupinus formosus )grow
inabundance.
RedwoodRegionalPark,Briones,SanBrunoMountainetc.
LifeCycle:Univoltine.
SexualDimorphism:BlueDark
SimilarSpecies:SilveryBlue
DistinguishingFeatures:Darkspotsalongventralhindwing
margin.Morethanonerowofventralspots,oftenwhiteringed.
Hostplant(s):Perenniallupines.
Note:severalsubspecies,includingthreatened
MissionBlue.

Silvery Blue
Active period: March-May inland; February-June
coastal.
Location: Dunes, coastal prairie, coastal scrub,
rocky canyons, forests .
Life Cycle: Univoltine
Sexual Dimorphism: blue dark
Similar Species: Boisduvals Blue (more heavily
spotted ventrally).
Distinguishing Features: Regular large dots on
ventral wings usually form one row . No dark
submarginal spots on any wings. Males have bluegreen scales base of hindwing.
Host plant(s): Native Legumes including Lupines
and Lathyrus.
Note: Larvae attended by ants.

LYCAENIDAE
Riodininae: Metalmarks

Mormon Metalmark
Active period: August-October

Location: Hot dry cliffs, rocky canyons,

chaparral and grassland
Life Cycle: Univoltine.
Sexual Dimorphism: larger
Similar Species: Crescents
Distinguishing Features: White
markings on dorsal wing view. Small
size.
Host plant(s): Native buckwheats

Langes Metalmark (subspecies of

Mormon Metalmark)
Active period: July-October
Location: Antioch Dunes. Endangered subspecies
in great decline.
Life Cycle: Univoltine.
Sexual Dimorphism: larger
Similar Species: Crescents
Distinguishing Features: White markings on dorsal
wing view . More orange in dorsal forewing than
other local subspecies .
Host plant: Eriogonum nudum var. psychicola