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larose forest photos | all galleries >> INSECTS (INSECTA) (28 Galleries) >> Butterflies (Lepidoptera) (8 Galleries) >> Gossamer-wings: Coppers,Harvester, Hairstreaks, Elfins, Blues (Lycaenidae) > Hickory hairstreak butterfly caught by a crab spider
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10-JUL-2010 Christine Hanrahan

Hickory hairstreak butterfly caught by a crab spider

Hickory Hairstreaks and Banded Hairstreaks look almost identical. Two key distinguishing features are the width of the bands on the wings (wider in Hickories), and whether the bands have white lines on both sides (Hickory) or only one side (Banded). However, variations are great, and some Banded Hairstreaks sometimes show a bit of white on both sides, but not as obviously as the Hickories. However, I sent this photo to a butterfly expert for confirmation, and Peter Hall said it was indeed a Hickory Hairstreak. Nearby was a Banded Hairstreak and a couple of Coral Hairstreaks.

Canon PowerShot SX10 IS
1/320s f/5.0 at 5.0mm iso100 full exif

other sizes: small medium large original auto
Terry Sprague10-Aug-2012 00:25
Cool!
pascal22-May-2011 14:26
What a beautiful shot !
Industrial Heritage22-May-2011 11:50
Nice observation Christine!
slhoornstra20-Nov-2010 03:25
Beautiful detail in this action shot, but I hope the Hairstreak left a bad taste in the spider's mouth. V
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