Red-banded Hairstreak
Calycopis cecrops (Fabricius, 1793)
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Theclinae
Identification: Two tails on the hindwing. Upperside brown, hindwing blue. Underside gray-brown with white postmedian line edged with red-orange.
Wing Span: 7/8 - 1 1/4 inches (2.2 - 3.2 cm).
Life History: Males perch on shrubs and low trees to watch for females. Females lay eggs singly on underside of fallen leaves near the host plant. Caterpillars feed on leaves and buds and probably detritus. Chrysalids and fourth-stage caterpillars hibernate.
Flight: All year in Florida, two broods northward from April-October.
Caterpillar Hosts: Fallen leaves of wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera), dwarf sumac (Rhus copallina), staghorn sumac (R. typhina), and several oaks.
Adult Food: Flower nectar from yarrow, wild cherry, tickseed sunflower, sumac, sweet pepperbush, New Jersey tea, common milkweed, and dogbane.
Habitat: Coastal hammocks, overgrown fields, forest edges.
Range: Southeastern United States from Long Island south through Florida, west through entire area to southeast Kansas, eastern Oklahoma, and eastern Texas. Strays to eastern Nebraska, northern Illinois, and Michigan.
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: Not reported.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 3465 verified sightings
Observation date: May 31, 2024
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Orange County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 12, 2025
Observation date: May 19, 2025
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 12, 2025
Observation date: May 18, 2025
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 12, 2025
Observation date: Sep 01, 2024
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 12, 2025
Observation date: Aug 10, 2024
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Union County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 12, 2025
Observation date: Jul 27, 2024
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Warren County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 12, 2025
Observation date: Sep 13, 2020
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Warren County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 12, 2025
Observation date: Sep 12, 2020
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Somerset County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 12, 2025
Observation date: Aug 05, 2020
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Morris County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 12, 2025
Observation date: May 31, 2024
Submitted by: SarahMia1019
Region: Washington County, Rhode Island, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 04, 2025
Observation date: Aug 17, 2024
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: Virginia, York County, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 04, 2025
Observation date: Apr 22, 2025
Submitted by: Susan McSwain
Region: Nelson County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 04, 2025
Observation date: Jun 25, 2025
Submitted by: Cheri Pierce
Region: Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 25, 2025
Observation date: Jun 02, 2025
Submitted by: Bero
Region: Leon County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 03, 2025
Observation date: May 31, 2025
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Jasper County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jun 01, 2025
Observation date: Apr 22, 2025
Submitted by: hockeybruce7
Region: Orange County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 28, 2025
Observation date: Mar 21, 1995
Submitted by: papilio1
Region: Collin County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 24, 2025
Observation date: Feb 09, 2025
Submitted by: neflodonata
Region: Levy County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 10, 2025
Observation date: Aug 23, 2024
Submitted by: PNAT24
Region: Wayne County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Dec 22, 2024
Observation date: May 01, 2023
Submitted by: kbg
Region: Cumberland County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 17, 2024
Observation date: May 09, 2023
Submitted by: jrtindall
Region: Mercer County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 17, 2024
Observation date: May 16, 2023
Submitted by: zebrafinch19
Region: Mercer County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 17, 2024
Observation date: Aug 19, 2023
Submitted by: jrtindall
Region: Mercer County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 17, 2024
Observation date: Sep 07, 2023
Submitted by: JHummel
Region: Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 17, 2024
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