Wingspan: 26–30 mm
Flight period of butterflies: one extended generation from the end of May to the beginning of August
Larval host plants: blackthorn (Prunus spinosa)
The Small Sloe Hairstreak (Satyrium acaciae) is the smallest species of this genus in our country. Above, the male is a washed dark brown color, only in the lower inner corner of the hindwings does it have two blurred orange dashes. The female, which is somewhat larger, is on the upperside chestnut brown, and on the hindwings she has three noticeable orange spots. It is also characteristic for it to have a tuft of black hairs at the end, the abdomen otherwise gray-brown.
The color of the underside of the male's wings, including some orange patches in the lower corner of the wings, is 'faded'. The female is not so bright. The male can also be recognized by a black dot on the outer part of the middle orange spot. That black dot is reduced in the female and is triangular in shape or may be obscured. In one of the orange spots there is also a bluish dot in both sexes. The fringe along the wing margin is thin and delicate in the Small Sloe Hairstreak.
The Small Sloe Hairstreak is the most heat-loving species among our hairstreaks. Therefore it prefers living in the lowland regions of Slovenia, up to about 600 m above sea level, higher up it is rare or occurs only exceptionally. Its habitat is forest edges and shrubs. It also thrives very well on meadows in overgrowth, where blackthorn grows; the only larval host plant is blackthorn, and the adults are attracted to white-flowering nectar plants.
