Sheridan's Green Hairstreak

Description:

I spotted these Sheridan's Green Hairstreaks in a field of Biscuitroot Parsley (Lomatium grayi) along the Deschutes River at Sherar's Falls in Wasco County, OR. These tiny bluish-green butterflies are one of the first to emerge in the Spring.

Notes:

The males are darker in color (pictured first) and the females are lighter with almost a tawny undertone (pictured second). The three types of Green Hairstreaks in the Pacific Northwest are Sheridan's, Bramble (Callophrys dumetorum), and Western (Callophrys affinis). The characteristic postmedian white band on the hind wing is less defined in the Sheridan's Green Hairstreaks in our region and looks more like that of a Bramble, which suggests that there may be some mimicry between subspecies of Green Hairstreaks in the Pacific Northwest. There have been reports of overlapping flight periods between Sheridan's and Bramble Green Hairstreak at the Deschutes River area near Maupin, but the Brambles typically come out later in the Spring when temperatures are warmer.