Green hairstreak
The Green hairstreak's brilliant green underside contains no pigment; the color comes from microscopic structures in the wing scales that diffract light and shift slightly with temperature.
| Where | Heathland, downland and scrubby grassland |
|---|---|
| Size | 27 to 34 mm wingspan |
| When | April to June |
The Green hairstreak always rests with its wings closed, showing a uniform bright green underside with a faint white streak, while the dull orange brown upperside is visible only in flight.
Flying as a single generation from spring into early summer, its caterpillars feed on a wide range of low plants depending on habitat, including rockrose, bird's foot trefoil, gorse and heather.
Traits
Habitat
Heath
Colour
Green, Orange, Brown
Active
Day
To people
Harmless and easily overlooked, it rests with wings shut and shows little interest in people passing by.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Very similar in size at about 25 to 30 mm wingspan, but told apart by an orange ring around the eye and orange on the inner antennae, both plain white in the Green hairstreak.
Questions
Is the Green hairstreak dangerous to people?
Harmless and easily overlooked, it rests with wings shut and shows little interest in people passing by.
When can you see the Green hairstreak?
The Green hairstreak can be seen from April to June, by day.
Plate retouched from a museum specimen photo by Frans Slieker, Natural History Museum Rotterdam, CC BY 4.0, GBIF Licence
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Butterflies and moths›Blues and coppers›Callophrys
Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.