The Red Banded Hairstreak is found from Maryland to southeast Kansas to eastern Texas and throughout Florida. As a stray, it is occasionally found as far north as southern Wisconsin and Minnesota. They tend to favor coastal areas with dry open woods and wooded neighborhoods.
   There are several flights (May-October) in the northern part of the range and they fly year round in Florida. It is stated that fourth instar larvae overwinter, but in reality, both larvae or pupae overwinter.

   As with the other Hairstreak butterflies, perching adults move their hind wings up and down. 
   The tails on the hind wings with their associated eyespots resemble a head. The movement of the tails is believed to attract a potential predator's attention to that part of the wings which then is torn away allowing the butterfly to escape.
   This “false head” defense has been documented to be effective against the attacks of jumping spiders.
   Males perch on vegetation to await the arrival of females for mating.
   Eggs are dimpled white turning to tan as hatching approaches

   They are laid on the undersides of dead leaves on the ground beneath the host plants.

   Larvae are reported to feed on dead leaves and detritus in the leaf litter.

   Adults feed on nectar and sip from mud for the minerals and nutrients that it provides.

   The wingspread of the adult is 24 to 30 mm (15/16 to 1 3/16 inches) The ventral surface of the wings is gray-brown with a postmedial white line edged with a bright orange to red-orange band. Each hind wing has two tails (hairstreaks) with a relatively large conspicuous eyespot on the wing margin between the bases of the tails. (Some spring specimens are darker in color.)