Gray Hairstreak

About the Gray Hairstreak

A dapper little butterfly with an outsized bag of tricks, the Gray Hairstreak is slate-gray below with a bold orange-capped black spot and thin hair-like tails on the hindwing. At rest it rubs those tails and spots together, creating a convincing fake head that fools predators into striking the wrong end. Above, it can flash a soft blue-gray.

One of the most widespread butterflies in North America, the Gray Hairstreak turns up wherever flowers bloom - fields, roadsides, and gardens - sipping nectar, while its caterpillars feed on a remarkable range of host plants.

In Texas the Gray Hairstreak is common across the state from spring through fall, a familiar small butterfly of open, flowery places.

A note from behind the lens: look for one perched on a flower head, slowly working those false-head tails. Get in close and square to the underwing, use soft light to hold the fine detail, and try to catch the moment the tails are twitching - the trick that makes this little butterfly so clever.