Delaware
Rare, iridescent butterfly spotted in a Delaware swamp
There are 120 species of butterfly that dwell and breed in Delaware, in line with The Nature Conservancy. The record simply grew by another.
The tiny Hessel’s Hairstreak butterfly is about as massive as your thumb, with a wingspan of barely an inch. Its wings shimmer with iridescent flecks of emerald inexperienced in opposition to brown. This can be very uncommon, residing nearly solely in Atlantic white cedar swamps.
The hairstreak has not been noticed on the Delmarva Peninsula since 1995, when Dr. Christopher Heckscher, an entomologist with Delaware State College, noticed one. He was shocked to see it once more 27 years later, on land protected by The Nature Conservancy in southern Delaware.