Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
 

Register · Log In
HomeGuideID RequestRecentFrassForumsDonateHelp
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Calendar
BugGuide Gathering
Smoky Mountains
University of Tennessee Biological Field Station
August 8-10, 2008
 
Photos from the gathering
 
Photos from the 2007 gathering in Minnesota

TaxonomyBrowseInfoImagesLinksBooksData
Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Butterflies (Papilionoidea) » Gossamer Winged Butterflies (Lycaenidae) » Hairstreaks (Theclinae) » Strymon » Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus)
Photo#218093
Brown Butterfly Aug 2008 1 - Strymon melinus
Copyright © 2008 Jo Ann Poe-McGavin

Brown Butterfly Aug 2008 1 - Strymon melinus
Jim Thorpe, Carbon County, Pennsylvania, USA
August 24, 2008
Size: 3 cm ws

Images of this individual: tag all
Brown Butterfly Aug 2008 1 - Strymon melinus Brown Butterfly Aug 2008 1 - Strymon melinus
tag · login or register to post comments
Contributed by Jo Ann Poe-McGavin on 25 August, 2008 - 11:11pm
Last updated 26 August, 2008 - 10:02pm

Moved
Moved from Hairstreaks.
… Jo Ann Poe-McGavin, 26 August, 2008 - 10:02pm login or register to post comments

Well..
since I've never seen a hairstreak before I am sure theres alot more to be seen with them.
… Borealfalcon, 26 August, 2008 - 10:17am login or register to post comments

??
Was one of the wings smaller than the other? I'm slightly confused on what I'm seeing here.

Is the forewing against the forewing of the other side?
… Borealfalcon, 25 August, 2008 - 11:26pm login or register to post comments

 
It was rubbing it's wings tog
It was rubbing it's wings together.
… Jo Ann Poe-McGavin, 26 August, 2008 - 12:52am login or register to post comments

 
I think that...
...what we are seeing is the hairstreak 'rubbing' it wings together. I believe this is done to simulate antenna movement to mislead an attacking bird or dragonfly allowing the hairstreak to escape. It does appear that the hind wing in the foreground had been damaged and that we can see the top of the hind wing in the background where we would expect to see the bottom of the wing in the foreground. It also appears that it is in the up position while the wing in the background is down.

-EDIT-

after reading this myself (I am tired) I can only hope that it is understandable :)
… Ron M, 25 August, 2008 - 11:43pm login or register to post comments

Comment viewing options
Select your preferred way to display the comments and click 'Save settings' to activate your changes.

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2009 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by Iowa State University Entomology.

Printer Friendly Version 		Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
Site Map
Contact