Flutter & Discover Facts!
- They have tiny, thin lines on the bottom of their wings that look like long hairs, which is how they got the name “hairstreak.
“ - The back of their wings has little tails and bright spots that look like a fake face with eyes and antennae.
- When a bird tries to bite the butterfly, it attacks the fake head on the wings instead of the real head, letting the butterfly fly away safely!
- To trick predators, they land on a flower, and they rub their back wings together in a circle to make their fake antennae wiggle.
- New Mexico has many kinds of hairstreaks, including the Juniper Hairstreak, which is bright green, and the great purple Hairstreak, which is shiny blue and purple.
- Unlike big, slow-fluttering butterflies, hairstreaks are super fast and zip through the air like tiny darts.
- The boys love to sit on the very top leaves of trees and bushes, watching the area and waiting for a female butterfly to fly by.
- The slug-shaped caterpillars can change color based on what they are eating. They can turn green, white, pink, or even bright purple to blend in perfectly with flowers.
PLANT PARTNERS
LEARN MORE ABOUT ALL POLLINATORS:
High Desert Helpers is sponsored through the Trails+ Grant Program by the New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division.
