Brown Hairstreak

Taxobox
name = Brown Hairstreak

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image_caption = "Thecla betulae" female
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
classis = Insecta
ordo = Lepidoptera
familia = Lycaenidae
genus = "Thecla"
species = "T. betulae"
binomial = "Thecla betulae"
binomial_authority = (Linnaeus, 1758)The Brown Hairstreak ("Thecla betulae") is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae.

Appearance and behaviour

A pretty little butterfly that is found along hedges, scrub, and wood edges but is often overlooked since it spends much of its time high in the tree canopy. Like the Purple Emperor this butterfly uses 'master trees', usually European Ash "Fraxinus excelsior". Males and unmated females congregate at the tops of isolated trees. Once mated the female decsends to lower levels to begin laying her eggs. males rarely decsend and both feed mainly on honey dew. Both sexes are dark brown on the upperside with orange tails. The female also has a bright orange band across both forwings. The undersides are similar in both sexes and are bright orange with two white streaks.

Lifecycle and foodplants

The female lays her eggs on Blackthorn "Prunus spinosa" in late August which overwinter, hatching the following spring when the buds are breaking. It has been found that the best way to find breeding sites for this species is to look for the conspicuous white eggs in the winter. The larvae are extremely well camouflaged and feed only at night, remaining motionless during the day. Pupation takes place in leaf litter on the ground in late june or early July and are attractive to ants who will bury them in shallow cells.

References

* Asher, Jim, Martin Warren, Richard Fox, Paul Harding, Gaile Jeffcoate & Stephen Jeffcoate (Eds), 2001. "The Millennium Atlas of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland." Oxford University Press.
* Thomas, J.A. & A.M. Emmet, 1990. THECLA BETULAE (Linnaeus). Pages 123–126 in A. Maitland Emmet, John Heath "et al." (eds) The Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland. "The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland" Vol. 7, Part 1 (Hesperiidae to Nymphalidae). Harley Books, Colchester, UK.

External links

* [http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/Butterfly/32/Butterfly.html?ButterflyId=15 Butterfly Conservation page for Brown Hairstreak]
* [http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species.php?vernacular_name=Brown%20Hairstreak UK Butterflies web-page for Brown Hairstreak—including numerous images of all stages]
* [http://www.lepidoptera.dsl.pipex.com/Mainpages/BHSObs2004.htm Field notes from a research study]
* [http://www.butterfly-guide.co.uk/species/hairstreaks/hair1.htm Butterfly-guide.co.uk entry]
* [http://www.pbase.com/nickclayton/image/84565386 Image of female underside]