Early Hairstreak
Erora laeta

Early Hairstreak reaches the southern end of it range in our northern tier of counties along the North Carolina and Tennessee lines. It is almost as rare to see one in Georgia as it is to see a unicorn. As if to avoid being seen, adults spend much of the day high in the branches of trees, coming to the ground only to nectar or get moisture. The best time to look for them is the day after a rain while the ground is still wet. There are two broods, mid-April to early May and late June to mid-July, with sightings in Union County on July 1 (Towers and Finkelstein) and July 5 (Gatrelle) and sightings in Walker County from April 12-22 (Adams and Howard). The hostplants are American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) and Beaked Hazelnut (Corylus cornuta). Early Date: April 12 (Walker County); Late Date: July 5 (Union County). Conservation Status: Secure.