Bug FAQLotus Hairstreak
Callophrys dumetorum · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Lycaenidae
Also called: Bramble Green Hairstreak, Bramble Hairstreak
The Lotus Hairstreak has a wingspan of about 25 to 32 mm. Its upper wings are light brown, while the underside is vivid green with a broken white line beyond the middle, and the green usually covers only the front third of the forewing.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The dorsal side of the wings is light brown, the ventral side vivid green, and a broken white post-medial line runs across the wings. On the forewing the green area is typically limited to the leading one-third of the wing.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults have a wingspan ranging from 25 to 32 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars feed on broad-leafed lotus and Acmispon nevadensis.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Larvae have been recorded feeding on broad-leafed lotus and Acmispon nevadensis.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species occurs in coastal California and, rarely, inland California in the United States. The subspecies C. d. oregonensis is called the Oregon green hairstreak.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
The Oregon green hairstreak (C. d. oregonensis) is a subspecies that looks similar.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 8 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Kansas, Nevada, New Mexico, Wyoming.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What do Lotus Hairstreak caterpillars eat?
The caterpillars feed on broad-leafed lotus and Acmispon nevadensis.
Source: Wikipedia
Is there a similar species to the Lotus Hairstreak?
Yes, the Oregon green hairstreak (C. d. oregonensis) is a closely related subspecies.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Lycaenidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Callophrys_dumetorum
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.