
Black Hairstreak
It is worth looking up at prominent Ash trees along wood edges to see if small clusters of adults may be flitting around. They congregate to mate and feed on aphid honeydew. Adults also sometimes feed lower down on flowers such as Hemp-agrimony, Common Fleabane and Bramble. The females are most frequently seen as they disperse widely along hedgerows where they lay conspicuous white eggs on young Blackthorn shoots.
The butterfly often rests with its wings closed showing orange-brown underwings with two wavy white streaks and small tails. Uppersides are brown with an orange mark.
It is locally distributed in southern Britain and mid-west Ireland and has undergone a substantial decline due to hedgerow removal and annual flailing, which removes eggs.
The Butterfly breeds on the young growth of Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) and occasionally other Prunus species such as Bullace (P. domestica).
Hedges, scrub and woodland edge where Blackthorn is prominent and not flailed every year.
Brown Hairstreak (female/upperwing) - Iain Leach
Iain Leach
Brown Hairstreak (female/upperwing) - Iain Leach
Iain Leach
Brown Hairstreak (male/upperwing) - Pete Withers
Pete Withers
Brown Hairstreak (underwing) - Adam Gor
Adam Gor
Brown Hairstreak (female/underwing) - Bob Eade
Bob Eade
Brown Hairstreak (underwing) - Iain Leach
Iain Leach
Brown Hairstreak (female/underwing) - Bob Eade
Bob Eade
Brown Hairstreak (egg) - Gilles San Martin
Gilles San Martin
Brown Hairstreak (egg) - Gillian Thompson
Gillian Thompson
Brown Hairstreak (caterpillar) - Ervin Szombathelyi
Ervin Szombathelyi
Peter Eeles
Peter Eeles
Peter Eeles
Peter Eeles