BC Conservation Data Centre: Conservation Status Report
Satyrium liparops
Striped Hairstreak
| Scientific Name: | Satyrium liparops |
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| English Name: | Striped Hairstreak |
| Provincial Status Summary | |
| Status: | S2 |
| Date Status Assigned: | January 15, 2007 |
| Date Last Reviewed: | February 04, 2020 |
| Reasons: | This species is only known from the Peace River corridor which is the westernmost extent of its national range; threats are high. |
| Range | |
| Range Extent: | D = 1,000-5,000 square km |
| Range Extent Comments: |
The species is known from Clayhurst, Ft. St. John, Halfway River and Taylor areas in the Peace Region. The total range extent is estimated at approximately 1600 km square. 2012 calculation of CDC mapped occurrences is 999 km2 |
| Area of Occupancy (km2): | D = 6-25 |
| Area of Occupancy Comments: | 2012 CDC calculation fof AOO is 4x4 grid squares = 16 sq. km. |
| Occurrences & Population | |
| Number of Occurrences: | B = 6 - 20 |
| Comments: | The species is known from one location around Clayhurst and one location at Beatton River (Guppy and Shepard 2001; Royal BC Museum database (2006); Kondla 2003); one location from the mouth of the Kiskatinaw River (Keystone Wildlife Research Ltd. 2012); east of Kiskatinaw Provincial Park (Guppy 2003b); one location at Bear flat (SW of Ft. St. John), and two locations around Taylor (Kondla 2003). The Beatton River, Bear Flat and Taylor sightings are not mapped (H. Davis, pers. comm. 2012). In total, there are likely six locations for the species. |
| Number of Occurrences with Good Viability / Ecological Integrity: | U = Unknown |
| Comments: | Records from east of the Kiskatinaw Provincial Park show 31 specimens observed on one day (Guppy 2003b). And records show the Beatton River location had a population recorded in 1990, 1992, 1993 (Kondla 2003), 1999 (Royal BC Museum 2006) and in 2003 (Guppy 2003). |
| Number of Occurrences Appropriately Protected & Managed: | B = 1 - 3 |
| Comments: | The species is recorded from the Clayhurst Ecological Reserve (Royal BC Museum 2006, four records in 1999). However, later observations are from west of the Ecological Reserve, not within it. |
| Population Size: | U = Unknown |
| Comments: | No population information exists. However, records from east of the Kiskatinaw Provincial Park show 31 specimens observed on one day (Guppy 2003b). This species is never recorded in abundance (Layberry et al. 1998). |
| Threats (to population, occurrences, or area affected) | |
| Degree of Threat: | B = High |
| Comments: | There are potential threats to the species from park use, park maintenance or trail/road building within the park. The species is recorded from Highway 131 along the Beatton River, and thus road/highway maintenance could have a potential impact on the species. Threats to butterflies that occur in the Peace corridor include agriculture (ie. hayfields and canola), recreational activites such as ATVs, trail bikes and snowmobiles; fire and fire suppression that causes ingrowth of shrubs and forest; wind turbines on hilltops; potential dam activity including complete loss of habitat, change in humidity, flooding and landslides, transmission lines and roads; pollutants such as herbicides and pesticides; grazing and livestock trampling on the hilltops; and detrimental affects from climate change (G. Guppy, pers. com. 2013. |
| Trend (in population, range, area occupied, and/or condition of occurrences) | |
| Short-Term Trend: | U = Unknown |
| Long-Term Trend: | U = Unknown |
| Other Factors | |
| Intrinsic Vulnerability: | U=Unknown |
| Environmental Specificity: | B=Narrow. Specialist or community with key requirements common. |
| Comments: | The larvae are thought to feed upon plum and cherry (Prunus spp.) and hawthorns (Crataegus spp.) and rarely on oak (Quercus spp.), willow (Salix spp.), poplar (Populus spp.) and blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) (Layberry et al. 1998). Specific foodplants are not known in BC. |
| Other Rank Considerations: | It is only known to occur within the Peace Region, which is also the westernmost extent of its national range. |
| Information Gaps | |
| Research Needs: | Specific habitat requirements including food plant density and patch size; species' dispersal capabilities, reproductive success and population viability; potential impacts of predation, parasitism, climatic variation, small population size, and population isolation is also needed. Research is required to assess the potential threats to habitat from grazing, invasive weeds, and wild fire. Research into life history and food plant clarification. |
| Inventory Needs: | Population and dispersal distance capabilities; threats to the species within known locations; inventory of butterflies in the Peace region, targetting riparian areas and woodlands. |
| Stewardship | |
| Protection: | The species should be protected where it occurs. It is only known to occur within the Peace Region, which is also the westernmost extent of its national range. There is some threat to one area due to potential inundation from hydroelectric development. |
| Management: | This species is protected within Clayhurst Ecological Reserve (though its occurrency within the reserve is questionable) although there are no species specific provisions in the management plan for the ecological reserve. Since this species is known to occur on the edge of wooded areas (Layberry et al. 1998) it may be a candidate for listing under the Forest and Range Practises Act Identified Wildlife Management Strategy. |
| Version | |
| Author: | Heron, J. and H. Davis |
| Date: | November 07, 2012 |
| References | |
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Guppy, C.S. 2003a. South Peace Lepidoptera inventory database.
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Guppy, C.S. 2003b. Northeast Peace Lepidoptera inventory database.
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Guppy, C.S., and J.H. Shepard. 2001. Butterflies of British Columbia. UBC Press in collaboration with Royal B.C. Mus. 414pp.
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Keystone Wildlife Research Ltd. 2012. Electronic database containing baseline inventory data for flora and fauna within the Site C dam footprint. Data collected and prepared for B.C. Hydro.
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Kondla, N. 2003. N. Kondla's Lepidoptera observation database.
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Layberry, R. A., P. W. Hall, and J. D. LaFontaine. 1998. The butterflies of Canada. University of Toronto Press. 280pp. + color plates.
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Royal British Columbia Museum (RBCM). 2006. RBCM Lepidoptera Collection.
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Please visit the website Conservation Status Ranks for information on how the CDC determines conservation status ranks. For global conservation status reports and ranks, please visit the NatureServe website http://www.natureserve.org/.
Suggested Citation:
B.C. Conservation Data Centre. 2012. Conservation Status Report: Satyrium liparops. B.C. Minist. of Environment. Available: https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/ (accessed Jun 5, 2026).