 Wingspan
27 - 34mm |
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Green Hairstreak
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Callophrys rubi
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Linnaeus, 1758 |
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Ref: 1555 |
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| Superfamily: | Papilionoidea |
| Family: | Lycaenidae |
| Subfamily: | Theclinae |
| Genus: | Callophrys |
| Subgenus: | |
| Species: | rubi |
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Male |
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Male Underside |
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Female |
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Female Underside |
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This butterfly is the most widespread of our hairstreaks. However, it is also a local species, forming distinct colonies which can be as small as a few dozen individuals, although other colonies can be much larger. Both sexes always settle with their wings closed, the brown uppersides only ever being seen in flight. The undersides, by contrast, provide the illusion of being green, an effect produced by the diffraction of light on a lattice-like structure found within the wing scales, which provides excellent camouflage as the butterfly rests on a favourite perch, such as a Hawthorn branch. This butterfly will also regulate its body temperature by tilting its wings appropriately to catch the sun’s rays.
This butterfly is found throughout the British Isles – partly due to the wide variety of foodplants it uses, and the wide range of habitats it frequents.
There is one brood each year, the butterfly typically being seen from mid-April to the end of June, depending on location. Emergence is typically later in more northern sites where this butterfly may be on the wing into early July. 
This butterfly can be found in a wide variety of habitats, including hillsides, moorland, chalk downland, heathland, railway embankments and valley bottoms. A common feature of all these habitats is the presence of scrubby plants and hedgerows. This species has the widest range of foodplants of any British species, which includes Bilberry, Bird’s-foot Trefoil, Broom, Common Rock-rose, Dogwood, Bramble and Gorse.
The primary larval foodplants are Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), Broom (Cytisus scoparius), Common Rock-rose (Helianthemum nummularium), Dyer's Greenweed (Genista tinctoria) and Gorse (Ulex europeaus). Bramble (Rubus fruticosus), Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica), Cross-leaved Heath (Erica tetralix) and Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea) are also used.
Adults feed primarily on Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), Honeydew / Sap and Privet (Ligustrum vulgare).
The male of this species is territorial and will have favourite perching sites that it uses to wait for passing females, but will dart out to investigate any passing object. The perches may be on standalone shrubs or part of a hedge and are often reused by different males should the original occupants wander too far. The female, on the other hand, spends most of her time away from the male territories, searching out nectar sources and foodplants on which to lay her eggs.
Description to be completed
Eggs are laid singly on the foodplant and are a very pale green when first laid, but darken after a few days. Eggs are typically laid on the tenderest shoots or on flower buds. Eggs hatch after a week or two.
Like the larvae of other Lycaenids, the larva is shaped like a woodlouse. On hatching, the new larva often bores into the tender buds to feed, whereas later instars feed on young leaves and shoots, avoiding more matures leaves altogether. The larvae are cannibalistic after their first moult.
Like many other Lycaenids, this species benefits from an association with ants that provide it a level of protection and this association extends to the pupal stage. Pupae have been found in the wild covered in particles of soil, believed to have been put there by ants that are attracted to the pupa. Pupae have also been found deep inside ant nests. It has also been suggested that the pupa is formed at the base of plants among ground litter, occasionally attached to a dead leaf by a silken girdle. However, there appears to be little evidence that this is normal behaviour in the wild. The Green Hairstreak hibernates as a pupa, which distinguishes it from all other hairstreaks found in the British Isles, which all hibernate as eggs. An interesting characteristic of the pupa of this species, in common with other Lycaenids, is that the pupa is able to make a sound that is attractive to ants, a phenomenon first discovered in 1774. The noises produced by the pupa when it is disturbed are exceptionally loud and audible to the human ear.
No similar species found.
Click here to see the distribution of this species overlaid with specific site information. Alternatively, select one of the sites listed below. |
 | Buckland Wood, Chevin Forest Park, Roudsea Wood NNR, Twywell Hills and Dales |  | Beacon Hill, Culm Davey, Denbies Hillside, Devils Ditch, East Prawle coast, Fontmell Down, Llanymynech Rocks, Magdalen Hill Down, Noar Hill |  | Allt Mhuic Nature Reserve, Bannerdown, Brown's Hill Quarry, Browns Folly, Durlston Country Park, East Poldens Reserves, Fleam Dyke, Greenham Common, Howell Hill, Malling Down, Thurlbear Quarrylands, Warton Crag |  | Gurney Slade, Long Knoll, Moors Valley Country Park, Priddy Mineries, Quoditch Moor Nature Reserve, Torr Works |  | Crook Peak, Hordle Cliff, Stoke Camp | | Not rated | Aldbury Nowers, Alder Hills, Ardley Quarry, Ashclyst Forest, Ashlawn Cutting LNR, Aspal Close, Aston Clinton Ragpits, Aston Rowant NNR, Aston Upthorpe Downs, Avon Heath Country Park, Backwarden, Ballard Down, Barnack Hills and Holes NNR, Barton Hills, Belmaduthy, Bicton Common, Bingham Linear Park, Black Rock, Boat of Garten, Bolt Head, Branscombe, Brigstock, Broaks Wood, Bury Ditches, Cannock Chase, Carpenters Down Wood, Cashel, Cerne Hill Giant, Charnwood Lodge, Chudleigh Knighton Heath, Clatworthy Reservoir, Clubmen's Down, College Lake, Craigower Hill, Creighton's Wood, Cribb's Meadow, Dancersend, Danes Moss, Darlands Banks LNR, Dean Hill (West), Ditchling Beacon, Dowrog Common, Duchie's Piece, Duncliffe Woods, Dunsford Meadow, Earl's Hill, East Ruston Common, Fingringhoe Wick, Glen Moss, Goblin Combe, Grangelands, Granville, Great Torrington Commons, Greenhill Down, Greenscombe Woods, Haldon Butterfly Walk, Ham Common, Hartslock, Hawkswood, Haydon Hill, Headley Heath, Higher Hyde, Hinkley Point Nature Reserve, Hod Hill, Hog Cliff Bottom, Holton Lee, Inversnaid, Ivinghoe, Jerry's Hole, Kilvey Hill, Kingcombe Stones, Langdon Reserve, Langford Heathfield, Lankham Bottom, Larden Chase, Levin Down, Little Breach, Loch Ardinning, Lords Lot Bog, Lydlinch Common, Maldon Wick, Mere Down, New Bridge, Newbourne Springs, Orley Common, Pewley Downs, Prestbury Hill, Prestwood Picnic Site, Robert's Field, Rod Wood, Saltfleetby - Theddlethorpe Dunes, Sopley Common, Sovell Down, Strawberry Banks, Stubhampton Bottom, Sutton Park NNR, Tadnoll, Telegraph Hill, The Dizzard, Tring Park, Ubley Warren, Walberswick, Walton Common, Warburg Reserve, Watersmeet, Watlington Hill, Welsh Moor, West Down, West Hook Cliffs, West Yatton Down, Wicken Fen, Wiveton Down, Wolfhamcote, Wolstonbury Hill, Wortham Ling |
Both distribution and population trends show a decline and the conservation status of this butterfly is kept under review as a result. |
| Not Listed |  | |
From The State of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland and the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP) (2007 review).
The following links provide additional information on this butterfly.
The species description provided here has been derived from the author's own observations and the information contained in the following works:
- A Natural History of British Butterflies, by F.W.Frohawk.
- British and Irish Butterflies, by Adrian M. Riley
- South's British Butterflies, by T.G.Howarth (which is based extensively on the classic work, "The Butterflies of the British Isles", by Richard South).
- The Butterflies of Britain and Ireland, by Jeremy Thomas and Richard Lewington.
- The Millennium Atlas of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland, by Jim Asher, Martin Warren, Richard Fox, Paul Harding, Gail Jeffcoate, Stephen Jeffcoate.
- The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland Volume 7 (1) Hesperiidae to Nymphalidae (the Butterflies), by A. Maitland Emmet and John Heath (editors).
- The State of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland, Richard Fox, Jim Asher, Tom Brereton, David Roy and Martin Warren.
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