"What a thousand acres of Silphiums looked like when they tickled the bellies of the buffalo is a question never again to be answered, and perhaps not even asked." -Aldo Leopold
Juniper Hairstreak
Callophrys gryneus (Hübner, 1809) P-no. 77a0507, fam. Lycaenidae
Host plant: eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana)
Dates found: 9, 24 May, 2026
Locations found: Tyson Research Center, St. Louis County, MO
Notes: A master of camouflage. As the photos show, it would be a waste of time hunting for this species by eye amongst the countless branches of an eastern red cedar. Instead, using beating techniques or UV light at night are the best methods for finding these guys.
Banded Hairstreak
Satyrium calanus fam. Lycaenidae
Host plant: hickory (Carya sp.)
Dates found: 2 May, 2026
Locations found: Tyson Research Center, St. Louis County, MO
Notes: This was an interesting find. I looked through a number of fresh leaf-roll shelters, finding all of them occupied by a to be identified noctuid caterpillar. In one of these I also found this banded hairstreak caterpillar that was being attended by ants.
A Thousand Acres of Silphiums 