Today is our second installment of photographs and excerpts from the book Butterflies of Alabama by photographer Sara Bright and nature writer Paulette Haygood Ogard. The featured butterfly today is the Red-Banded Hairstreak.
Below is an excerpt from Butterflies of Alabama describing the Red-Banded Hairstreak:
“Red-Banded Hairstreaks often materialize out of nowhere, suddenly appearing on the ground, perched on leaves, or nectaring on flower heads. Because male interior wings are coated with iridescent scales, a small flash of metalic blue frequently announces their seemingly teleported entrances and exits. Both male and female butterflies display a distinctive red band, their most apparent mark. The zigzagged line comes in any shade of red (up to and including orange), and may be broadly stroked or pencil thin.”
Tomorrow, for our third installment, we will feature the deep blue and colorful Pipevine Swallowtail.