|
Links - Click
links below to navigate site
List of Updates Home Page Newsletter About me How to take good photos A-Z Family index and Photos Species identification/FAQ Geographic locations Moth traps Breeding with Caterpillars Seasons to find Moths and Butterflies Contact Disclaimer External Links
Text and photographs
protected by Copyright © David McCormick
2009, unless otherwise stated, and must not be reproduced or published
in part or in whole elsewhere without prior written permission from the
author.
This website is designed to be viewed on
Internet Explorer at a resolution 1024x768 or higher, and may not
reproduce correctly on Firefox or other browsers.
|
Welcome to Daves Moth and
Butterfly World - Species Name: Green Hairstreak | ||||||||
|
Welcome to Dave McCormick's Moth and Butterfly World. Here is information t he Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi). Hear Scientific Name
Go Back t o Lycaenidae PageGo to Thumbnail Species Index Information The Green Hairstreak is a small butterfly, which is still widespread across most of the UK, although many colonies have been lost in recent years. Widespread across Europe and North Africa and eastwards through Asia well into Siberia. In Europe it is widespread and its found in woodland clearings and margins, scrub, heaths, flowery meadows and grasslands from 0-2300 meters and its found from March to early July. In Northern Ireland the butterfly is a species of conservation concern and is absent from most of East Antrim, Central Down, East Tyrone and Central Armagh. It is most likely the most commonest in Sperrin Mountains, the Antrim hills and remnant areas of bog in North Armagh. Similar Species Sad Green Hairstreak (Callophrys miserabilis), Sandia Hairstreak (Callophrys mcfarlandi), Juniper Hairsreak (Callophrys gryneus), Hessel's Hairstreak (Callophrys hesseli), California green hairstreak (Callophrys affinis perplexa) Known Aberrations To Be Completed. Adult Images The upperside is a uniform dull brown with two paler patches on the male's forewings made up of scent scales. The undersides are a bright green with a thin white line, often reduced to a faint row of dots or even missing altogether. They never rest with their wings open. The Males are territorial, defending a prominent perch on a bush from rivals and this is what usually gets the butterfly noticed. In Northern Ireland there is a single Generation flying from 5th April to around 5th July.
Mating Images None Caterpillar Images It has what is probably one of the largest range of foodplants of any British butterfly. Early butterfly collectors thought that the only foodplant was Bramble (blackberry) Rubus fruticosus hence its scientific name, but as its habits became better understood the list grew and will probably continue to do so. Depending on the habitat it will use Common Rock Rose, Bird's-foot trefoil, Gorse, Broom, Dyer's Greenweed, Bilberry, Dogwood, Buckthorn, Cross-leaved Heath and Bramble. This range of foodplants means that it is able to use a range of habitats including chalk downland, heathland, moorland and woodland. The eggs are laid singly and the caterpillars are green with yellow markings along the back. Like other members of the family they are rather sluglike. They are not known to be tended by ants like some lycid caterpillars. Pupae Images The pupae, which are formed at ground level, emit squeaks which attract ants and it is thought that ants will always bury any that are found. Green Hairstreaks overwinter as pupae. Forms Pages None Subspecies Pages None Aberrations None Videos Pages None References http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species.php?vernacular_name=Green Hairstreak - Green Hairstreak - UKButterflies, (c) 2009, Peter Eeles http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Hairstreak - Green Hairstreak - Wikipedia Butterflies of Europe - (c) 2004, Tristan Lafranchis The Butterflies and Moths of Northern Ireland - (c) 2006, Robert Thompson, Brian Nelson Page last edited: 28/10/2009 23:36 (c) David McCormick 2009 | |||||||||
