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Satyrium titus Scudder, 1876
Coral Hairstreak; Hairstreaks
Family: Lycaenidae (Gossamer Wings)
Species account authors: Crispin Guppy and Jon Shepard.
Extracted from Butterflies of British Columbia.
Introduction to the Lepidoptera of BC
Introduction to the Butterflies of BC
The Families of Lepidoptera of BC

Photograph

© Norbert Kondla     (Photo ID #8124)

Map

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Distribution of Satyrium titus in British Columbia.
(Click on the map to view a larger version.)
Source: Butterflies of British Columbia by Crispin Guppy and Jon Shepard © Royal BC Museum

Species Information


Adult

The Coral Hairstreak is characterized by the submarginal row of coral spots on the ventral hindwing that can be almost contiguous. The spots extend into the ventral forewing as a faint row in southern BC populations and a strong row in Peace River populations. Otherwise the wings are a uniform brown.

Immature Stages

Saunders (1869d) first described the immatures, and Scudder (1889b) repeated the details with full credit. The egg is deep green with white projections on the chorion. The mature larva has a shiny black head. The body is dull green, with a dorsal dark green stripe on the thoracic segments. The dorsal surface of the abdominal segments is pinkish. The pupa is pale brown and covered with short, brown hairs, the typical appearance of a lycaenid pupa.

Subspecies

The subspecies name usually applied to the southern BC and Peace River populations is S.t. immaculosus (W.P. Comstock, 1913), the correct subspecies name for southern BC populations. The type locality of this taxon is on the west side of the Rockies in Utah, however, and should not be applied to Peace River and Canadian Prairie populations. The Peace River populations are the nominate subspecies, S.t. titus (Fabricius, 1793) (TL: "in Anglia" [NF]), with stronger coral markings.

Genus Description


The name Satyrium is from the Latin saturos (Satyr), a goatlike woodland deity associated with Bacchus. The Satyrs were voluptuous dancers and this generic name draws attention to the sprightly flight of these hairstreaks (Emmet 1991). The common name is derived from the characteristic white "hairline" across the ventral hindwing.

There are usually tails on the hindwings of species in this genus of hairstreaks. The aedeagus of the male is flared at the tip, with a serrated keel. The aedeagus has one or two cornuti, one of which is toothed. The pair of valves are close together at the base but very divergent at the ends. Clench (1961) provided the modern definition of the genus. He did not include in the genus the species S. titus, which has only one cornutus but is otherwise identical to the other species in the genus. Clench indicated that the genus was Holarctic, but authorities in the Palearctic recognize other genera for their fauna, such as Strymonidia, Nordmannia, etc. There are 15 species in this Nearctic genus, seven occuring in BC. The larvae feed on a wide variety of shrubs and perennials, including oaks (Quercus), willow (Salix), buckbrush (Ceanothus), chokecherry (Prunus), saskatoon (Amelanchier alnifolia), and, in one case, legumes.

Biology


Adults of the Coral Hairstreak from populations in the Southern Interior usually fly from late June to early August. There are, however, records of males from 20 May and 9 September, indicating that there may be a partial second generation. Elsewhere a second brood has been discounted (Opler and Krizek 1984). In the Peace River valley, the Coral Hairstreak flies in July. Throughout its North American range, it has been reared on a variety of wild cherry species, Prunus sp. The egg is laid in July or August and hibernates, hatching as the wild cherry is budding the following spring. The entire growth is completed in about two months. The butterfly is in the pupa for two or three weeks and then the adult emerges.

Habitat


The Coral Hairstreak is found from the Chilcotin southeast through the Southern Interior and the extreme southwest of the West Kootenay. There are also disjunct populations in the Peace River Canyon from below Hudson's Hope to the AB border. The Coral Hairstreak is found in riparian situations and on the banks of large rivers where the larval foodplant, chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), is found.

Distribution

Distribution

The Coral Hairstreak is found from the Peace River of BC east to NF, and from the Chilcotin south to northern CA and NM. In the east it extends south to GA, with disjunct populations in TX.

Status Information

Scientific NameOrigin StatusProvincial StatusBC List
(Red Blue List)		COSEWIC
Satyrium titusNativeS4YellowNot Listed
Satyrium titus immaculosusNativeS4YellowNot Listed
Satyrium titus titusNativeS2RedNot Listed



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