Subject: Mystery butterfly

Geographic location of the bug: Albany Pine Bush, Albany, NY

Date: 07/15/2020

Time: 11:13 PM EDT

Your letter to the bugman: Dear Bugman,

Dispatch No. 3 from the Albany Pine Bush, with a real stumper (to me at least). Since you were so delighted with my Karner Blue butterflies a couple months ago, you’ll be happy to hear the second generation is now on the wing and the place is lousy with them. Everywhere you look, there is that flutter of blue (and sometimes they even hold still for us photographers!)

But Karner blues are old hat–this year I’ve been collecting hairstreaks. In addition to the Gray Hairstreak, which I’ve seen before, I’ve seen several Banded Hairstreaks and Coral Hairstreaks, new to me this year! Which leads me to my mystery: I stooped to photograph a butterfly a good distance away on a bush, and realized that although it looks like a hairstreak (and is about the same size), its markings don’t match anything in my field guide. (Naturally it disappeared before I could get any closer; the weird and rare ones never let me get a good photo, though as a rule I have found that hairstreaks are pretty patient about having a camera shoved in their face.)

For context, this was in an open area, gently sloping up from the trail, full of spotted knapweed, New Jersey tea (both very popular), and various other low grasses and bushes. There were a few other hairstreaks in the area, and a ton of Karner blues.

Any idea who my mystery hairstreak(?) was?

P.S. I’d be glad to send you photos of my other finds, if you’d like!

How you want your letter signed: Susan B.

Hi Susan,

Have you entertained the possibility that this might be an Eastern Tailed Blue which is pictured on BugGuide. That is our best guess at this time.