Strymon melinus – Gray Hairstreak

Caterpillar foods: numerous herbaceous plants, most often plants in the Pea (Fabaceae) and Mallow (Malvaceae) families

This butterfly is common in many other parts of the U.S., but uncommon in Wisconsin.  It probably can’t survive the cold winters.  I’ve only seen it a few times at the farm.

8/6/2006

8/6/2006

Looking back over these photos, I realized that this was a female laying eggs.  (So frustrating – if I had been into raising caterpillars at that point, I could have collected some eggs and reared them!)

8/6/2006

8/6/2006  More egg laying

 

7/9/2012