Green hairstreak

Callophrys rubi

A smaller hairstreak with a wingspan of 25-34 mm, the distinctive feature of this species is the bright green underside that is viewable when it perches. There are several subspecies in Lebanon. The green lives in many different types of habitats, in scrub, thickets, marshes, meadows, grassland, and stony slopes. Host plants are numerous, including legumes such as dorycnium (Dorycnium spp.), hedysarum (Hedysarum spp.), bladder-senna (Colutea spp.), broom (Cytisus spp.), greenweed (Genista spp.), and some shrubs and trees like blackberries (Rubus spp.), strawberry-trees (Arbutus spp.), buckthorn (Rhamnus spp.), and currant (Ribes spp.). It flies March through June.

Video

Photographs