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 97 - 120 of 1326 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 31, 2018
Submitted by: Daniel Taylor
Region: Worcester County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 04, 2021
Observation date: Jul 31, 2019
Submitted by: marcia's flight...
Region: Kent County, Delaware, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 02, 2021
Observation date: Oct 09, 2021
Submitted by: J Tinsman
Region: Clark County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 29, 2021
Observation date: Sep 14, 2021
Submitted by: butterflybirdie...
Region: Maricopa County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 16, 2021
Observation date: Oct 04, 2021
Submitted by: dayers@hotmail.com
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 16, 2021
Observation date: Oct 13, 2021
Submitted by: cjgoin
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 14, 2021
Observation date: Oct 10, 2021
Submitted by: mamotimo
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 11, 2021
Observation date: Oct 02, 2021
Submitted by: Selwyn Quan
Region: Santa Clara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 03, 2021
Observation date: Sep 30, 2021
Submitted by: Lisahug
Region: Sonoma County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 30, 2021
Observation date: Aug 21, 2021
Submitted by: Joshua C
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 30, 2021
Observation date: Sep 17, 2021
Submitted by: Jeff Poffenbarger
Region: Dallas County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 19, 2021
Observation date: Sep 13, 2021
Submitted by: Marta Reece
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 13, 2021
Observation date: Sep 09, 2021
Submitted by: Lisa Sisk
Region: Richland County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 10, 2021
Observation date: Sep 03, 2021
Submitted by: LauraSea
Region: Nassau County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 07, 2021
Observation date: Aug 30, 2021
Submitted by: LauraSea
Region: Nassau County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 01, 2021
Observation date: May 12, 2021
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Texas, Kimble County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Aug 14, 2021
Observation date: Aug 10, 2021
Submitted by: Reneerob17
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 13, 2021
Observation date: Mar 31, 2021
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Indian River County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 05, 2021
Observation date: May 24, 2021
Submitted by: asabspade
Region: Mendocino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 21, 2021
Observation date: Jul 10, 2021
Submitted by: topper72
Region: Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 11, 2021
Observation date: Jul 06, 2021
Submitted by: sgensits
Region: Leon County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 10, 2021
Observation date: Jun 20, 2021
Submitted by: Team Kweeper
Region: El Dorado County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 20, 2021
Observation date: May 21, 2021
Submitted by: SFellows
Region: Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 29, 2021
Observation date: May 26, 2021
Submitted by: mstanek
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 28, 2021
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