Thorne's Hairstreak (Callophrys thornei [J.W. Brown])
Wing span: 7/8 - 1 inch (2.2 - 2.5 cm).
Identification: Upperside of male is dark brown with dark orange patches on lower outer edges of wings; female is tawny with dark margins. Underside is dark purple-brown with an iridescent green sheen. Postmedian line is very irregular; dark towa
Life history: To seek females, males perch on host trees all day. Eggs are laid singly on tips of host plant leaves, which the caterpillars eat. Chrysalids hibernate.
Flight: One brood from April-May.
Caterpillar hosts: Tecate Cypress (Cupressus).
Adult food: Nectar from flowers of wild lilac (Ceanothus) and other plants.
Habitat: Hilly, rocky areas.
Range: Small population in San Diego County, California.
Conservation: Because of its small range and susceptibility to fire, this butterfly is of a high conservation priority.
The Nature Conservancy Global Rank: T1 - Critically imperiled because of extreme rarity (5 or fewer occurrences, or very few remaining individuals), or because of some factor of its biology making it especially vulnerable to extinction.
