Species Oenomaus ortygnus - Aquamarine Hairstreak - Hodges#4294

Classification · Hodges Number · Explanation of Names · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Remarks · Print References · Internet References

Aquamarine Hairstreak - Oenomaus ortygnus

Aquamarine Hairstreak - 6th (or so) US record - Oenomaus ortygnus

Aquamarine Hairstreak - Oenomaus ortygnus - Oenomaus ortygnus

Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)

Superfamily Papilionoidea (Butterflies and Skippers)

Family Lycaenidae (Blues, Coppers, Hairstreaks, Harvesters)

Subfamily Theclinae (Hairstreaks)

Tribe Eumaeini

Genus Oenomaus

Species ortygnus (Aquamarine Hairstreak - Hodges#4294)

Hodges Number

4294

Explanation of Names

Oenomaus ortygnus (Cramer, 1779)

Identification

Upperside iridescent greenish-blue with black borders in males; pale blue in females. Underside gray with an aquamarine band along the trailing edge of the hindwing. Hindwing has 3 or 4 black spots.

Range

Very rare vagrant in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of southernmost Texas; normally found from Tamaulipas, Mexico south to Brazil - Map

Habitat

low-elevation forests

Season

Oct-Dec in TX, flies almost all year in Mexico

Food

Adults are nectar feeders; US records have mostly been on Eupatorium betonicifolium. Caterpillars found on plants in the genus Annona; no known host plants or documented reproduction in the US.

Remarks

First US records: Two individuals were seen and one collected in Brownsville in December 1962. (Clench 1964)

Print References

Clench, H.K. 1964. A new hairstreak for the United States. Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 18(3): 189-190. (Full PDF)

Internet References

Butterflies of America - BOA

Moth Photographers Group - MPG

NABA-South Texas

Contributed by Joshua Stuart Rose on 27 May, 2006 - 1:56pm
Additional contributions by Steve Nanz, Mike Quinn
Last updated 2 March, 2019 - 9:20am

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 © 2003-2023 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Printer Friendly Version