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 Object of the Month: Colorado Hairstreak Butterfly
The Colorado hairstreak (Hypaurotis crysalus, family Lycaenidae), one of North America's most beautiful butterflies, is native to Colorado and many parts of the Southwestern United States.
The Colorado Hairstreak can usually be found in areas where its host plant, Gambel's oak (Quercus gambelii, family Fagaceae), is common. Learn more...
Want to see previous Objects of the Month? Check out our archive.
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Research and Collections
The University of Colorado Museum of Natural History houses the largest natural history collection in the Rocky Mountains. Currently, more than four million objects are categorized into five disciplines: Anthropology, Botany, Entomology, Paleobiology/Geology and Zoology. The collections include the world's oldest documented Navajo textile, the Aiken bird collection, and Colorado's largest collection of bees.
Faculty and staff at the Museum conduct world-class research, using the extensive collections. Some of the current research at the Museum includes algal ecology of lakes and streams, the first colonization of the Americas, and coprolites and dinosaur diets.
 Ever wondered what it's like to spend a summer catching insects, observing foxes, or digging up fossils? How do paleontologists and archaeologists know where to dig? How many species of grasshoppers live in Colorado? What was Colorado like 34 million years ago? How is climate change affecting Colorado's plants and animals? Visit the Museum's From the Field blog to find out what our scientists are up to!
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