Colorado State Insect
The Colorado Hairstreak Butterfly was designated the official Colorado State Insect in 1996 due almost entirely to the efforts of Colorado 4th graders led by Melinda Terry, a teacher at Wheeling Elementary in Aurora, CO. It took considerable effort and time to bring the Hairstreak Butterfly to the front running position as the official insect, but the efforts were rewarded in 1996 as Colorado became the 37th state in the Union to name an official insect. This beautiful butterfly is native to oak scrub land in such Southwestern states as Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah and the species is particular to the Gambel Oak which grows in the region.
The Gambel Oak is important to the survival of the butterfly species because it roosts there, lays its eggs on the twigs, and the hatched caterpillars find their food source in the young leaves of the oak. The adult butterfly eats tree sap, insect “honeydew” secretions, and raindrops. They take flight one time from mid June to August. You will notice their dark purple wings with black border and orange spots. Each hindwing has a thin hairlike tail. The wingspan is usually 1 – 1/4 to 1 - 1/2 inches.
If you are interested in seeing examples of Colorado butterflies both preserved and live, there are two great places to visit: The Denver Museum of Nature and Science is full of exhibits and examples of beautiful creatures of the present and past. The Butterfly Pavilion is the place to discover live creatures you may interact with. They have more bugs, butterflies and insects than you can shake a stick at! (don’t really shake sticks, it scares the butterflies…)
