hairstreak

American  

[hair-streek] / ˈhɛərˌstrik /

noun

1. any small, dark butterfly of the family Lycaenidae, subfamily Theclinae, having hairlike tails on the hindwings.

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hairstreak British  

/ ˈhɛəˌstriːk /

noun

1. any small butterfly of the genus Callophrys and related genera, having fringed wings marked with narrow white streaks: family Lycaenidae

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Etymology

Origin of hairstreak

First recorded in 1810–20; hair + streak

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hairstreak

According to The UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme, butterflies are in sharp decline, with the white-letter hairstreak species falling by 80% since the survey began in 1973.

From BBC ● Apr. 16, 2026

Orange tip numbers are up more than 40% since 1976, and Black hairstreak - one of the UK's rarest butterflies - is recovering thanks to conservation work.

From BBC ● Apr. 14, 2026

For the brown hairstreak, both charities rely on volunteers going out in the middle of winter to look for tiny, pinhead-sized eggs on twigs using magnifying glasses.

From BBC ● Apr. 25, 2025

The black hairstreak is endangered, the brown hairstreak and white-letter hairstreak are both vulnerable, and green hairstreak and purple hairstreak have also declined in abundance and distribution since the 1970s.

From BBC ● Apr. 25, 2025

He's now planting elm hedges to support the elusive white-letter hairstreak butterfly.

From BBC ● Mar. 1, 2017