Green hairstreak
The green hairstreak is a small butterfly with a big secret. On top its wings are plain brown, but underneath they are bright, shiny green. It always sits with its wings closed, so it looks just like a little green leaf.
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Fun facts
Its green colour is not paint. Tiny patterns in the wing scales bend the light so it shines green.
The pupa can make little squeaking sounds. Ants hear them and often bury the pupa, which keeps it safe.
Its caterpillars eat more kinds of plants than almost any other butterfly in Britain.
It spends the winter as a pupa and comes out as a butterfly in spring.
The males guard their own little patch and chase other males away.
Most asked questions about Green hairstreak
?Why is the green hairstreak green?
The underside of its wings has tiny patterns that bend the light and make it shine green. That helps it hide among leaves.
?How big is a green hairstreak?
It is small. Its wings are about 26 to 30 millimetres from tip to tip.
?When can I see a green hairstreak?
Mostly in spring and early summer, from the end of March to the end of June.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Callophrys rubi
- Named by
- Linnaeus, 1758
- Group
- Butterflies
- Family
- Lycaenidae
- Classification
- Insecta > Lepidoptera > Lycaenidae
- Lives on
- Europe, Africa, Asia
Where the facts come from
- Green hairstreak (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 Charles J. Sharp. CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons. The round sticker of this bug is cut from the same picture.
If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at hello@bugwiki.app and we will fix it.
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