This guide provides an overview of the butterflies that live in and around Tucson, Arizona. Skippers are not covered here, there are so many of them that they deserve their own field guide. There are 5 families of "true" butterflies: Gossamer-winged Butterflies (Lycaenidae, includes ...more ↓
The Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus), is one of the most common hairstreaks in North America, ranging over nearly the entire continent.
Ministrymon leda is a little species of hairstreak resident in patchy distribution to the south western United States and into northern Mexico, and migratory in some parts of its range (Scott 1986). Habitats are lower Sonoran zone desert thorn forest. Host plants are trees restricted to Prosopis juliflora var. torreyana (Leguminosae). with most known hosts from X. ...more ↓
The Great Purple Hairstreak (Atlides halesus), also called the great blue hairstreak, is a common North American butterfly. The larvae (Caterpillars) feed on mistletoe (Phoradendron) species.
The Brown Elfin (Callophrys augustinus) is butterfly of the Lycaenidae family. It is found in from Newfoundland north and west through the northern United States and the prairie provinces to Alaska. To the south it ranges in Appalachian Mountains to northern Georgia and northern Subspecies iroides is known as the Western Elfin.