Callophrys sheridanii
Encyclopedia
Callophrys sheridanii, common name Sheridan's Hairstreak and Sheridan's Green Hairstreak, is a butterfly
in the Lycaenidae
family. It is found along the south coast of British Columbia
and parts of Nevada
, Arizona
, Saskatchewan
, North Dakota
, and New Mexico
. This species was adopted as the Wyoming
state butterfly in 2009.
east to British Columbia
. From British Columbia, the range extends south through Eastern
Washington down to the Sierra Nevada of California. From Alberta, the species extends southward through the Rocky Mountains
down to New Mexico
.
leaves. The eggs are flattened and hemispherical in shape, and very pale green in colour. The larva
e range from a green to pink colour and feed on buckwheat.
The caterpillars are a light green to pink colour, and are covered with bunches of short stiff pines. They have two rows of white spots running down the back. They eat the leaves, but in some prefer to eat the flowers and young fruits. Chrysalids then hibernate. In Washington State, the caterpillars feed on Sulphur Umbrella Plants (Eriogonum umbellatum
). In adulthood, males perch looking for female mates in depressions or gulch bottoms. The adults drink flower nectar. They take one flight between March and June, with specimens from British Columbia flying from mid-April to late May, while specimens in Alberta flying mid-May until late June.
, including Eriogonum racemosum and Eriogonum heracleoides
.
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
in the Lycaenidae
Lycaenidae
The Lycaenidae are the second-largest family of butterflies, with about 6000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies...
family. It is found along the south coast of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
and parts of Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
, and New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
. This species was adopted as the Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
state butterfly in 2009.
Description
This small, tail-less butterfly has a wingspan of 20–24 mm (0.78740157480315–0.94488188976378 ). The upperside is dark gray-brown, with underside colour ranging from a bright green to dark gray-green. The lower part of the forewing is gray. Callophrys sheridanii has a white postmedian line of dots that may be straight or bluged out, and even reduced or absent. It is named for its characteristic straight, white line crossing the underside of both wings, although this may be less distinct in specimens from southern British Columbia.Distribution
Although uncommon in Canada, this species is found from southern AlbertaAlberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
east to British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. From British Columbia, the range extends south through Eastern
Eastern Washington
Eastern Washington is the portion of the U.S. state of Washington east of the Cascade Range. The region contains the city of Spokane , the Tri-Cities, the Columbia River and the Grand Coulee Dam, the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and the fertile farmlands of the Yakima Valley and the...
Washington down to the Sierra Nevada of California. From Alberta, the species extends southward through the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
down to New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
.
Range and habitat
Callophrys sheridanii remains within a range of approximately 6000–10000 ft (1,828.8–3,048 ), living in such environments as sagebrush scrub, dry, brushy hillsides in badlands, chaparral, woodlands, subalpine scree, open hillsides, and on canyon slopes and washes.Life history
Females have one brood between April and May. They lay eggs singly various species of wild buckwheatBuckwheat
Buckwheat refers to a variety of plants in the dicot family Polygonaceae: the Eurasian genus Fagopyrum, the North American genus Eriogonum, and the Northern Hemisphere genus Fallopia. Either of the latter two may be referred to as "wild buckwheat"...
leaves. The eggs are flattened and hemispherical in shape, and very pale green in colour. The larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e range from a green to pink colour and feed on buckwheat.
The caterpillars are a light green to pink colour, and are covered with bunches of short stiff pines. They have two rows of white spots running down the back. They eat the leaves, but in some prefer to eat the flowers and young fruits. Chrysalids then hibernate. In Washington State, the caterpillars feed on Sulphur Umbrella Plants (Eriogonum umbellatum
Eriogonum umbellatum
Eriogonum umbellatum is a species of wild buckwheat known by the common name sulphurflower buckwheat, or simply sulphur flower. It is native to western North America from California to Colorado to central Canada, where it is abundant and found in many habitats...
). In adulthood, males perch looking for female mates in depressions or gulch bottoms. The adults drink flower nectar. They take one flight between March and June, with specimens from British Columbia flying from mid-April to late May, while specimens in Alberta flying mid-May until late June.
Host plants
Callophrys sheridanii larvae and caterpillars feed on various species of wild buckwheatBuckwheat
Buckwheat refers to a variety of plants in the dicot family Polygonaceae: the Eurasian genus Fagopyrum, the North American genus Eriogonum, and the Northern Hemisphere genus Fallopia. Either of the latter two may be referred to as "wild buckwheat"...
, including Eriogonum racemosum and Eriogonum heracleoides
Eriogonum heracleoides
Eriogonum heracleoides has many flowering clusters that are cream or off-white in color. Its usual habitat is rocky areas such as sagebrush deserts and Ponderosa pine forests...
.
Subspecies
- Callophrys sheridani sheridanii, 'White-lined Sheridan's Hairstreak'
- Callophrys sheridani comstocki, 'Desert Sheridan's Hairstreak'
- Callophrys sheridani lemberti, 'Alpine Sheridan's Hairstreak'
- Callophrys sheridani pseudodumetorum
- Callophrys sheridani newcomeri, 'Whitelined Green Hairstreak' (occurs in southern British Columbia)
- Callophrys sheridani neoperplexa, 'Sheridan's Green Hairstreak' (occurs in southwestern Alberta)
Conservation status
Although quite rare in certain parts of its range, conservation is usually not required.Further reading
- Ross A. Layberry, Peter W. Hall, and J. Donald Lafontaine (1998), The Butterflies of Canada, University of Toronto PressUniversity of Toronto PressUniversity of Toronto Press is Canada's leading scholarly publisher and one of the largest university presses in North America. Founded in 1901, UTP has published over 6,500 books, with well over 3,500 of these still in print....