Red-banded hairstreak

Red-banded hairstreak

Secure  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Calycopis
Species:
C. cecrops
Binomial name
Calycopis cecrops
Fabricius, 1793

The red-banded hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops) is a butterfly native to the southeastern United States. It feeds on fallen leaves of sumac species and other trees. It is 0.9–1.25 inches (23–32 mm) in size. It lives near coastal areas.

Its genome was sequenced in 2016. It has a false "head" that helps it avoid predators. In a 2012 experiment, C. cecrops was exposed to a jumping spider, Phidippus pulcherrimus, which researchers found to be a "very efficient strategy in deflecting attacks."