Observation date: July 17, 2012
Submitted by: paulp
Specimen type: Photograph
Observation notes: The butterfly was moving it's wings very slightly up and down opposite one another.This action cause the appendages at the back of the wings to move and wiggle and appear to be his antennae. This action made it seem like both ends had a head.
Status: Resident
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: July 21, 2012
Coordinator notes: Thanks for submitting this nice photo of a great purple hairstreak. Like most hairstreaks it has markings (tails) and behaviors (wing shuffle) that lead a predator to think its head is in the back, where an attack would not be fatal. Also note the red warning colors at the actual head. This species is not often reported from Santa Fe, so this is a nice record.
