Striped Hairstreak

Satyrium liparops is resident throughout the eastern United States and southern Canada as far west as Western Alberta (Scott 1986). Habitats are deciduous woods, prairie streamsides, and (westward) foothill canyons. Host plants can be trees and shrubs and include species from many families, including Rosaceae. Eggs are laid on the host plant singly. Individuals overwinter as eggs. There is one flight each year with the approximate flight time July1-early Aug in the northern and mountainous parts of the range and May15-June30 in the southern part of their range (Scott 1986).

The Peace River populations are globally unique and have a restricted geographic range.

The single yearly brood flies from mid June to early August, peaking in mid-July.

The core of this species' range is the eastern continental US, occuring from northern Florida west to Colorado and the AB-BC Peace River valley (Opler 1999).

This is the only Alberta hairstreak with a loose, banded underside pattern. There are several subspecies attributed to the provincial fauna, with aliparops found in the southern prairies and fletcheri inhabiting the northern prairies and parklands. The Peace River populations belong to an unnamed subspecies (Bird et al. 1995).

Found near shrub thickets, often along prairie coulees and valley sides.

The larva is green with a yellowish dorsal stripe and yellow oblique bands (Layberry et al. 1998). Eggs overwinter, and pupation occurs in mid-June in BC (Guppy & Shepard 2001).

The larval foodplants are presumed to be rosaceous shrubs in western Canada, including saskatoon (Amelanchier alnifolia) and cherry (Prunus spp.) (Bird et al. 1995, Guppy & Shepard 2001).