---
title: "Gray Hairstreak"
description: "Strymon melinus — Insecten en spinnen. The gray hairstreak (Strymon melinus) is also called the bean lycaenid or cotton square borer."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/nl/animal/gray-hairstreak
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Gray Hairstreak

> Strymon melinus — Insecten en spinnen. The gray hairstreak (Strymon melinus) is also called the bean lycaenid or cotton square borer.

- Scientific name: *Strymon melinus*
- Category: `insects` (Insecten en spinnen)
- Habitats: unknown
- iNaturalist observations: 89931
- Wikidata: [Q3021949](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3021949)
- iNaturalist taxon: [50931](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/50931)

## Names

- en: Gray Hairstreak
- es: Mariposa Sedosa Gris
- fr: Porte-queue Gris

## Countries with the most observations

US (82785), CA (3395), MX (1713), VE (60), CO (20), HN (8), EC (3)

## Summary

The gray hairstreak (Strymon melinus) is also called the bean lycaenid or cotton square borer. It is a member of the Lycaenidae family, known as the gossamer-winged butterflies and the second-largest family of butterflies. It is one of the most common hairstreaks in North America, ranging over nearly the entire continent. It also occurs throughout Central America and in northern South America.

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

## Photo

![Gray Hairstreak](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/gray-hairstreak/medium.jpg)

Photo: Jade Fortnash · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/23400286

## Machine access

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