(Esper, 1779)
Ilex Hairstreak
Description:
The Ilex Hairstreak occurs locally at woodland edges, and in coppices with warm, dry oak scrub.
The female lays her eggs on the rather stunted oak trees, and certainly not on large oaks. The tiny caterpillar hibernates in the egg, or in the first larval instar. It feeds on the young oak leaves, eventually pupating in the litter layer under the food plant. The adult butterflies need nectar, feeding on flowering Common Privet (Ligustrum vulgare) and on bramble blossom (Rubus spp.).
It is single-brooded.
Habitat:
Mixed woodland
Heath and shrub
Deciduous forests
Similar species:
Satyrium esculi
Satyrium acaciae