As my research group and I were walking to Doyle Hall, we spotted this Grey Hairstreak butterfly, or Strymon melinus. Naturally, it was a dispute about who was going to use it as their biodiversity observation this week and I was the lucky victor. The Grey Hairstreak is the most common hairstreak in North America and is frequently found in parks, gardens, woods and open fields. They are very hard to track when flying due to their sporadic and quick movements, which is probably a defense tactic. As caterpillars, they feed on the fruits and flowers of many different plants, most often pea and mallow families, and can be a pest to bean farmers. As adults, they feed on the nectar of many flower species. The coloration of the Grey Hairstreak makes it easily identifiable, with a bright orange and black spot amidst a mostly grey wing. Currently, they are very prevalent and do not require any conservation measures.
My iNaturalist post can be found here.
References
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Strymon-melinus
http://www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.asp?identification=Gray-Hairstreak-Butterfly