Vail Daily column: Hairstreak is a colorful Colorado native

By Edward Stoner

Thanks to teacher Melinda Terry and her fourth-grade Wheeling Elementary class in Aurora, the hairstreak butterfly our named as our state insect in 1996. The Colorado hairstreak captivates the eye with its dominant vivacious purple coloration that turns into wide black-to-brown bordered wings with orange spots near the bottom of the wing. Males often have larger orange spots on their wings compared to females. Another identifiable feature of the Colorado hairstreak are the “tails” on the bottom of their hind wings. Tails aid in the butterfly’s poise and grace when flying through the air. True Butterfly The Colorado hairstreak (Hypaurotis …

Source: Vail Daily Feed