Gray Hairstreak Strymon melinus (Hübner, 1818)    Synonyms: Hodges #4336.
Kingdom Animalia   >   Phylum Arthropoda   >   Class Insecta   >   Order Lepidoptera   >   Family Lycaenidae   >   Genus Strymon   

Status:

Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus) is probably the most widespread and familiar species of hairstreak in the east, and it ranges across Maryland. This generalist species can be found in a wide variety of habitats, from fields and deciduous woods, even urban parks or yards. It is multi-brooded, and flies from late April to early October in Maryland (Butterflies of Maryland: A Biological Summary and Checklist by Lynn Davidson & Richard Smith).

Where to find:

This species commonly visits flowers, and this can be a reliable way to locate this butterfly.

Relationships:

Will utilize a wide variety of plants as larval hosts, including various legumes (Fabaceae), such as bush clovers, tick-trefoils (Desmodium, clovers (Trifolium), and vetches (Vicia), as well as members of the mallow family (Malvaceae), like Malva species (Allen, 1997).

The species has been recorded from well over one hundred species of host plants across a large range of families (Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants).

There are 852 records in the project database.

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A Gray Hairstreak in Howard Co., Maryland (8/6/2016). Photo by Kevin Heffernan. (MBP list)

A Gray Hairstreak at Point Lookout SP, St. Mary's Co., Maryland (9/26/2006). Photo by Frode Jacobsen. (MBP list)

A Gray Hairstreak in Kent Co., Maryland (8/29/2007). Photo by Nancy Martin. (MBP list)

A Gray Hairstreak in Baltimore Co., Maryland (3/22/2016). Photo by Jeff Culler. (MBP list)

A Gray Hairstreak in Prince George's Co., Maryland (9/28/2014). Photo by Barbara Thurlow. (MBP list)

A Gray Hairstreak in Worcester Co., Maryland (9/12/2013). Photo by Scott Housten. (MBP list)

Gray Hairstreak in Washington Co., Maryland (8/25/2018). Photo by Frode Jacobsen. (MBP list)

A Gray Hairstreak in Frederick Co., Maryland (9/9/2017). Photo by Mark Etheridge. (MBP list)

Gray Hairstreak nectering on Sundial Lupine in Worcester Co., Maryland (4/30/2006). Photo by Jim Brighton. (MBP list)

Gray Hairstreak in Worcester Co., Maryland (9/26/2013). Photo by Scott Housten. (MBP list)

Gray Hairstreak in Caroline Co., Maryland (8/31/2016). Photo by Wayne Longbottom. (MBP list)

Gray Hairstreak in Caroline Co., Maryland (8/31/2016). Photo by Wayne Longbottom. (MBP list)

A Gray Hairstreak in Baltimore City, Maryland (6/23/2006). Photo by Thomas Wilson. (MBP list)

A Gray Hairstreak in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (8/26/2014). Photo by Frode Jacobsen. (MBP list)

Gray Hairstreak in Prince George's Co., Maryland (9/18/2021). (c) Sergei Drovetski, all rights reserved. Photo by Sergei Drovetski. (MBP list)

Gray Hairstreak in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (9/19/2020). (c) Jim Moore (Maryland), some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Jim Moore. (MBP list)

Gray Hairstreak in Dorchester Co., Maryland (9/22/2020). (c) Judy Gallagher, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Judy Gallagher. (MBP list)

A Gray Hairstreak in Baltimore City, Maryland (10/5/2014). Photo by Wendy J. Alexander, Ph.D. (MBP list)

Gray Hairstreak in Frederick Co., Maryland (9/4/2016). Photo by Andy Wilson. (MBP list)

Gray Hairstreak in Howard Co., Maryland (8/3/2020). (c) Timothy Reichard, all rights reserved. Photo by Timothy Reichard. (MBP list)

A Gray Hairstreak in Baltimore Co., Maryland (8/1/2017). Photo by Anna Schrad. (MBP list)

A Gray Hairstreak in Dorchester Co., Maryland (8/29/2019). Photo by Mark Etheridge. (MBP list)

Gray Hairstreak in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (7/8/2017). (c) Timothy Reichard, all rights reserved. Photo by Timothy Reichard. (MBP list)

Gray Hairstreak in Frederick Co., Maryland (8/14/2021). (c) Emilio Concari, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Emilio Concari. (MBP list)

Gray Hairstreak in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (8/30/2020). (c) Timothy Reichard, all rights reserved. Photo by Timothy Reichard. (MBP list)

Gray Hairstreak in Charles Co., Maryland (7/26/2019). (c) Allison Burnett, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Allison Burnett via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

A Gray Hairstreak in Worcester Co., Maryland (10/13/2012). Photo by Frode Jacobsen. (MBP list)

A Gray Hairstreak in Baltimore City, Maryland (10/12/2014). Photo by Pauline Horn. (MBP list)

A Gray Hairstreak caterpillar in Baltimore City, Maryland (8/30/2007). Determined by Sam Jaffe/BugGuide. Photo by Thomas Wilson. (MBP list)

A Gray Hairstreak in Worcester Co., Maryland (8/16/2014). Photo by Scott Housten. (MBP list)

Gray Hairstreak in Calvert Co., Maryland (8/2/2020). (c) Timothy Reichard, all rights reserved. Photo by Timothy Reichard. (MBP list)

Gray Hairstreak in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (9/18/2020). (c) Timothy Reichard, all rights reserved. Photo by Timothy Reichard. (MBP list)

Gray Hairstreak in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (7/3/2021). (c) Timothy Reichard, all rights reserved. Photo by Timothy Reichard. (MBP list)


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