These little Hairstreak Butterflies are small, and they fly away fast. If you can keep your eyes on one long enough, you can most easily tell these two apart by the red line, or lack thereof. The Gray Hairstreak Butterfly (left) has a bit of red on the lower wings, but the Red-banded Hairstreak Butterfly (above, right) has a line of red across both wings.

Visit my page on each butterfly: Gray Hairstreak Butterfly and Red-banded Hairstreak Butterfly for more pictures and information.

There are other little hairstreak butterflies, like the Gray Ministreak, that you could mix these up with. Since I don't have photos of those (yet), you'll have to look them up elsewhere to be sure which butterfly you have. I'm still chasing them though, so check back for updates because I'll add them here if I find them.