Lycaenidae - Blues, Coppers, Hairstreaks, Harvesters

There are about 4,000 species of small, delicate butterflies in this family. Most species are are brightly colored in blue, violet, or copper and have a metallic shine. Some species have tiny tail-like extensions on their hindwings. The males in this family have short forelegs and no claws. The females have normal forelegs. The caterpillars of the species in this family look more like slugs than caterpillars. Many of the species of this family have a special relationship with ants! Ants rub the larvae of some species with their antennae. This causes the larvae to secrete a sugary fluid that the ants eat. This secretion also protects the larvae from parasites!

Endangered in N.H.	Threatened in N.H.	Introduced
Endangered in U.S.	Threatened in U.S.

New Hampshire Species		Other North American Species
Acadian Hairstreak American Copper Banded Hairstreak Bog Copper Bog Elfin Bronze Copper Brown Elfin Coral Hairstreak Early Hairstreak Eastern Pine Elfin Eastern Tailed-Blue Edwards' Hairstreak Frosted Elfin Gray Hairstreak Greenish Blue Henry's Elfin Hessel's Hairstreak Hoary Elfin Juniper Hairstreak Karner Blue Melissa Blue Silvery Blue Spring Azure Striped Hairstreak Summer Azure Western Pine Elfin		Acmon Blue American Holly Azure Amethyst Hairstreak Appalachian Azure Aquamarine Hairstreak Arctic Blue Arizona Hairstreak Arrowhead Blue Atala Avalon Scrub-Hairstreak Barry's Hairstreak Bartram's Scrub-Hairstreak Bauer's Dotted-Blue Behr's Hairstreak Bernardino Dotted-Blue Black Hairstreak Blue Copper Boisduval's Blue Bromeliad Scrub-Hairstreak California Hairstreak Cassiope Blue Cassius Blue Ceraunus Blue Clench's Greenstreak Clytie Ministreak Coastal Green Hairstreak Colorado Hairstreak Creamy Stripe-streak Cyna Blue Desert Elfin Desert Green Hairstreak Dorcas Copper Dusky Azure Dusky-blue Groundstreak Eastern Pygmy-Blue Edith's Copper Ellis' Dotted-Blue El Segundo Blue Fender's Blue Ferris' Copper Fulvous Hairstreak Gold-bordered Hairstreak Golden Hairstreak Gold-hunter's Hairstreak Goodson's Greenstreak Gorgon Copper Gray Copper Gray Ministreak Great Copper Great Purple Hairstreak Hedgerow Hairstreak Hermes Copper Hickory Hairstreak Hops Azure Ilavia Hairstreak Intermediate Dotted-Blue Johnson's Hairstreak King's Hairstreak Lacey's Scrub-Hairstreak Lange's Metalmark Lantana Scrub-Hairstreak Leda Ministreak Lilac-bordered Copper Long-winged Greenstreak Lotis blue Lupine Blue Lustrous Copper Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak Marine Blue Mariposa Copper Marius Hairstreak Martial Scrub-Hairstreak Mexican Cycadian Miami Blue Mission Blue Mojave Dotted-Blue Moss' Elfin Mountain Mahogany Hairstreak Muir's Hairstreak Muted Hairstreak Nelson's Hairstreak Nickerbean Blue Northern Blue Pacific Dotted-Blue Pallid Dotted-Blue Palos Verdes Blue Pearly-gray Hairstreak Poling's Hairstreak Pumice Dotted-Blue Purplish Copper Reakirt's Blue Red-banded Hairstreak Red-crescent Scrub-Hairstreak Red-lined Scrub-Hairstreak Red-spotted Hairstreak Rita Dotted-Blue Rocky Mountain Dotted-Blue Ruddy Copper Ruddy Hairstreak San Bruno Elfin San Emigdio Blue Sandia Hairstreak Shasta Blue Sheridan's Green Hairstreak Sierra Nevada Blue Silver-banded Hairstreak Small Dotted-Blue Smith's Blue Soapberry Hairstreak Sonoran Blue Sonoran Hairstreak Sooty Hairstreak Southern Hairstreak Spalding's Dotted-Blue Strophius Hairstreak Sylvan Hairstreak Tailed Copper Tailless Scrub-Hairstreak Telea Hairstreak Thicket Hairstreak Tropical Greenstreak Veined Blue Western Green Hairstreak Western Pygmy-Blue Western Square-dotted Blue Western Tailed-Blue White M Hairstreak White Scrub-Hairstreak Xami Hairstreak Yojoa Scrub-Hairstreak

Wild Files > Animalia > Arthropoda > Hexapoda > Lepidoptera > Lycaenidae

Lycaenidae - Blues, Coppers, Hairstreaks, Harvesters

Endangered in N.H.

Threatened in N.H.

Introduced

Endangered in U.S.

Threatened in U.S.