Lotus hairstreak
The lotus hairstreak is a small butterfly with a secret. On top its wings are plain light brown, but underneath they are a bright, vivid green. It lives mostly along the coast of California.
How big is it?
How wide are its wings?
How big is Lotus hairstreak compared to YOU?
Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
How fast is it?
Fun facts
A thin, broken white line runs across the green underside of its wings.
On the front wing, the green usually only covers the front third of the wing.
It lives in heathlands, on coastal sand dunes, along roadsides and in clearings in pine forests.
Scientists argued about its scientific name for years, until a decision in 2012 sorted it out.
Most asked questions about Lotus hairstreak
?What colour is the lotus hairstreak?
Light brown on top and bright green underneath, with a thin white line.
?What does the lotus hairstreak eat?
The butterflies drink flower nectar. The caterpillars eat lotus plants.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Callophrys dumetorum
- Group
- Butterflies
- Family
- Lycaenidae
- Classification
- Insecta > Lepidoptera > Lycaenidae
- Lives on
- North America
- Also known as
- Bramble hairstreak
Where the facts come from
- Callophrys dumetorum (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
- Picture by Linda Tanner. CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.
If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
Bug Wiki honey jar For grown-ups: Bug Wiki is free, with no ads and no tracking. A small tip helps keep it online.Leave a tip
Monarch butterfly
Peacock butterfly
Blue morpho
Old World swallowtail
Small white
Eastern tiger swallowtail
Black-headed slug
Black caterpillar hunter
Short-haired bumble bee
New Zealand grasshopper
Florentine woolcarder bee
Strawberry blossom weevil