Gold-hunter's Hairstreak (Satyrium auretorum [Boisduval])
Wing span: 1 - 1 1/4 inches (2.5 - 3.2 cm).
Identification: Hindwing with 1 short tail. Upperside of male light reddish-brown; female with yellowish tinge. Underside of hindwing with dark crescents near outer margin. Spot near tail is dull orange with a black center.
Life history: Males perch on top of trees and sometimes patrol for females. Eggs are laid singly on stems and hibernate until spring. Caterpillars feed on tender young leaves.
Flight: One flight from May-July.
Caterpillar hosts: Several species of oak (Quercus).
Adult food: Flower nectar including milkweeds.
Habitat: Oak hillsides and chaparral.
Range: California west of the Sierra Nevada, Transverse Range, and deserts, from Mendocino County south to San Diego County and into Baja California Norte.
