Great Purple Hairstreak
Atlides halesus (Cramer, 1777)
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Theclinae
Identification: Hindwing with one short and one long tail. Abdomen is blue on top, red-orange beneath. Upperside black with wide-spread iridescent blue. Underside black with iridescent gold markings near tails.
Wing Span: 1 1/4 - 2 inches (3.2 - 5.1 cm).
Life History: Males perch on treetops or other tall objects in the afternoon, watching for receptive females. Caterpillars eat leaves and male flowers of the host plant. Chrysalids hibernate in crevices at base of host tree or under loose bark.
Flight: Three flights from March-December.
Caterpillar Hosts: Mistletoe (Phoradendron species) growing on several tree species.
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers including goldenrod, Hercules club, shepherd's needle, sweet pepperbush, and wild plum.
Habitat: Oak woods, mesquite forests, planted walnuts in agricultural or suburban areas, and mixed woods infested with mistletoe.
Range: Guatemala north to central California, east through Texas and southern Missouri to Maryland.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Comments: NULL
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 481 - 504 of 1326 verified sightings
Observation date: Oct 02, 2005
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (HEL, Cook)
Region: Dare County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Aug 16, 1997
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (D. Carter)
Region: New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: May 20, 2000
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (J. Finnegan)
Region: Moore County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Anderson)
Region: Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jul 22, 2003
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Bockhahn)
Region: Wake County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Mar 29, 2006
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (S. Hartley)
Region: Moore County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jul 26, 1998
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (S. Hartley)
Region: Moore County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Sep 08, 2000
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Don Seriff, Deb Sue Griffin)
Region: Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jul 31, 1993
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (HEL)
Region: Bladen County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Jones County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Aug 31, 2003
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (J. Pippen)
Region: New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jun 21, 2006
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (ASH)
Region: Washington County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Sep 14, 1998
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (D. Carter)
Region: Hyde County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Apr 30, 2001
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (L. Koehn)
Region: Surry County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Apr 01, 1995
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (G. Dodge)
Region: Durham County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: May 04, 1995
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (HEL)
Region: Pender County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jul 20, 2004
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (PCH)
Region: Harnett County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (R. McNeill)
Region: Franklin County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Sep 12, 1999
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (R. Emmitt)
Region: Pender County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Oct 20, 2001
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Pippen,HEL)
Region: Chatham County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Aug 19, 1995
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (HEL)
Region: Columbus County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Apr 04, 2005
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (R. Emmitt)
Region: Orange County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Anderson)
Region: Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Mar 11, 2000
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (PCH)
Region: Harnett County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
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