Not the orange patch on the ventral hindwing near the base of the tails, but a red! What a pretty butterfly, discovered smack dab in the middle of Pittsburgh in the outdoor gardens of the world renowned Phipps Conservatory.

Strymon melinus appears in several of our posts. We’re not sure of the gender of this individual. We do know that like all Gray Hairstreaks it, for its own reasons, will pose motionless, thankfully. With tails intact, this lovely Hairstreak exhibits orange tipped antennae, red patches, and handsome gray coloration.

Enjoy our other Gray Hairstreak posts.

Jeffrey