Diet

• Adult food plants are likewise poorly documented, although adults are presumed to take flower nectar.

• The lack of reliable host-plant information makes the immature stages particularly difficult to study.

Range

• Strephonota tephraeus ranges from Mexico through Central America and into northern and central South America, including Venezuela, the Guianas, the Amazon region and Peru.

• Guerrero is within its Mexican range. It occurs in the Zihua area.

Habitat

• It is primarily associated with lowland tropical forest, particularly along rivers and other areas with moist vegetation.

• Adults may occur along forest edges, river margins and sunny openings within tropical woodland.

• In the Zihua area, riparian vegetation and tropical forest margins provide suitable habitat.

Description

• A small hairstreak with a wingspan of approximately 22–29 mm.

• Males have an iridescent blue upper surface, with a black forewing apex and a large oval black-and-brown patch in the forewing cell.

• Females are duller blue above and generally have a more extensive blackish forewing apex.

• The underside is pale grey with fine white streaks that are relatively inconspicuous against the background.

• The hindwing has a small tail and contrasting markings near the anal angle.