---
title: "Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak"
description: "Strymon istapa — Insects & spiders. Strymon istapa the mallow hairstreak, mallow-scrub hairstreak, dotted hairstreak or Hewitson's hairstreak."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/animal/mallow-scrub-hairstreak
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak

> Strymon istapa — Insects & spiders. Strymon istapa the mallow hairstreak, mallow-scrub hairstreak, dotted hairstreak or Hewitson's hairstreak.

- Scientific name: *Strymon istapa*
- Category: `insects` (Insects & spiders)
- Habitats: unknown
- iNaturalist observations: 9055
- Wikidata: [Q16992826](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16992826)
- iNaturalist taxon: [132553](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/132553)

## Names

- en: Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak
- es: Mariposa Sedosa de la Malva

## Countries with the most observations

US (7157), MX (1321), CU (80), DO (47), JM (36), KY (35), HN (33), CR (25), GT (24), PA (18), NI (15), PR (12)

## Summary

Strymon istapa the mallow hairstreak, mallow-scrub hairstreak, dotted hairstreak or Hewitson's hairstreak. This diurnal butterfly is a widespread species that can be found in xeric habitats throughout the southern United States, Central America, parts of the Caribbean (including Cuba and Grand Cayman), and rarely in South America. This species can be spotted in rural and suburban areas in which human infringement has created open fields or tracks of overgrown weeds as a result of land clearing. These butterflies are often seen rubbing their hindwings together presumably to attract attention to their antenna mimicry…

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strymon_istapa

## Photo

![Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/mallow-scrub-hairstreak/medium.jpg)

Photo: Liz F · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/161267230

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/mallow-scrub-hairstreak?lang=en` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).