University of Alberta Museums Search

The combination of a dotted, tan-grey underside with orange and blue marginal markings, and the presence of a hindwing tail, is unique to this species and the Sylvan Hairstreak (S. sylvinum) in Alberta. The Acadian has more orange on the hindwing underside, and the large blue spot at the outer angle is capped with orange (uncapped in sylvinum). In Alberta, the Acadian is found in the prairie region, while the Sylvan is restricted to the southwest mountain region; the mountain records of acadicum in Bird et al. (1995) are referable to sylvinum (Kondla 2001).

The eggs are laid on willows, and overwinter. The larvae are green with two yellow stripes and oblique white bands. Pupae are yellowish-brown with dark markings (Bird et al. 1995). The swift-flying adults perch on prominent vegetation (Bird et al. 1995).

The larvae are feed on black willow (Salix nigra) and sandbar willow (Salix exigua) in Michigan (Nielsen 1999), the latter of which also occurs in Alberta. Adults are avid flower visitors, including buckbrush (Symphoricarpos occidentalis) in Alberta (Bird et al. 1995).