Black Hairstreak
Satyrium pruni
This record describes Satyrium pruni (species). Recorded family: Lycaenidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
The underwings are brown with a tinge of gold and the borders are orange, with a row of black spots, a white streak down each wing and small tails. The upperwings are only ever visible in flight (the butterfly always settles with its wings closed) and are brown with an orange patch on each forewing and orange tails on the lower wings. A good photograph will be needed to support records of this rare species. In thickets of Blackthorn in woodlands on heavy clay soils. The adults spend nearly all their time in the canopies of trees or dense scrub, where they feed on honeydew secreted by aphids. The adults may be seen mainly in June - at certain times they make short looping flights in and out of the tree tops, with a peak of activity around midday. Mostly concentrated in an area between Oxford and Peterborough in the East Midlands. Even within this small range it has declined recently. Rare in VC55 - restricted to small area in south Rutland.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera
- Family
- Lycaenidae
- Genus
- Satyrium
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
In thickets of Blackthorn in woodlands on heavy clay soils. The adults spend nearly all their time in the canopies of trees or dense scrub, where they feed on honeydew secreted by aphids.
Seasonal Activity
The adults may be seen mainly in June - at certain times they make short looping flights in and out of the tree tops, with a peak of activity around midday.
Additional species information
Recorded status
Mostly concentrated in an area between Oxford and Peterborough in the East Midlands. Even within this small range it has declined recently.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Satyrium pruni. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Lepidoptera includes approximately 180,000 described species of butterflies and moths. Moths outnumber butterflies roughly 10:1. The monarch butterfly's eastern population has declined by more than 80% since the mid-1990s, and the western population by over 95% since the 1980s. The IUCN lists the migratory monarch as Vulnerable.
Ecological role of the group
Butterflies and moths are essential indicators of ecosystem health. As caterpillars, they are a primary food source for birds - a single nest of blue tit chicks requires ~10,000 caterpillars. Adult moths pollinate many night-blooming plants.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Lepidoptera are critical pollinators. In Europe, grassland butterfly species have declined by almost 50% since the early 1990s. In the UK, three-quarters of butterflies are in decline. In the U.S., five butterfly species have gone extinct since 1950, with 29 listed as endangered.
Recorded sources for this group: IUCN Red List, Xerces Society, USFWS, PNAS, WWF. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Black Hairstreak (7)
Frequently Asked Questions About Black Hairstreak
What is Black Hairstreak?
Black Hairstreak (Satyrium pruni) is a species in the family Lycaenidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
Where is Black Hairstreak found?
Habitat: In thickets of Blackthorn in woodlands on heavy clay soils. The adults spend nearly all their time in the canopies of trees or dense scrub, where they feed on honeydew secreted by aphids.
When is Black Hairstreak active?
Black Hairstreak: seasonal activity - The adults may be seen mainly in June - at certain times they make short looping flights in and out of the tree tops, with a peak of activity around midday..