See text The brown hairstreak (Thecla betulae) is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae.

The following description of this butterfly was written by Adalbert Seitz in 1909:[1] Z. betulae L. Black-brown; male with a pale diffuse patch, female with a broad orange band beyond the crossveins.

there appear beyond the apex of the cell small orange-spots , which may be paler yellow than the discal spots of the female.

fisoni Wheeler, while the band is separated into several spots by the heavily black veins in ab.

Larva adult in June, clothed with short thin hairs, green with a yellow line on back and sides, yellow subdorsal oblique spots and a brown retractile head; on certain Prunus and Amygdalus, more rarely on birch, hazel and cherry.

Pupa very smooth, rounded everywhere, pale brown, with thin lighter and darker markings; although fastened only by the cremaster, not by a girth, it is closely applied with its underside to its support The butterfliesoccur from July until late in October near woods, in avenues and gardens.

In opposition to other observers I have sometimes seen 3 or 4 males resting together on a leaf.A little butterfly that is found along hedges, scrub, and wood edges but is often overlooked since it spends much of its time high in the tree canopy.

In Europe the female lays her eggs on blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) in late August which overwinter, hatching the following spring when the buds are breaking.

It has been found that the best way to find breeding sites for this species is to look for the conspicuous white eggs in the winter.

Pupation takes place in leaf litter on the ground in late June or early July and are attractive to ants who will bury them in shallow cells.