National Moth Week is July 18-26!
Moths are amazing creatures. Take photographs and share your moth sightings with us to document the moths where you live.
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
Please donate!
We depend on donations to keep Butterflies and Moths of North America freely available. We want to express our gratitude to all who showed their support by making a contribution this year. You can donate to support this project at any time.
Advertise with us!
Do you have a product or service that you think would interest BAMONA users? If you would like to advertise on this website, contact us by email, or use the contact form and select the "Advertising" category.
Verified Sightings
Displaying 289 - 312 of 1355 verified sightings
Observation date: Sep 29, 2017
Submitted by: Nancy Asquith
Region: Santa Clara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 14, 2017
Observation date: Sep 22, 2017
Submitted by: sue63berg
Region: Marion County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 26, 2017
Observation date: Sep 07, 2017
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 22, 2017
Observation date: Sep 16, 2017
Submitted by: rfaskins
Region: Pickens County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 21, 2017
Observation date: Jun 29, 2017
Submitted by: John Wilson
Region: Socorro County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 09, 2017
Observation date: Aug 30, 2017
Submitted by: mellielong
Region: Hillsborough County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 31, 2017
Observation date: Aug 17, 2017
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 18, 2017
Observation date: Aug 17, 2017
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 18, 2017
Observation date: Jun 15, 2017
Submitted by: Beth Polvino
Region: Cape May County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Will Kerling
Verified date: Aug 03, 2017
Observation date: Jul 28, 2017
Submitted by: Daniel Smith
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 29, 2017
Observation date: Jul 23, 2017
Submitted by: Christin21
Region: Sonoma County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 25, 2017
Observation date: Jul 15, 2017
Submitted by: mrslmalone
Region: Polk County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 21, 2017
Observation date: Apr 20, 2017
Submitted by: rosacmchenry@sb...
Region: Texas, McLennan County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jun 29, 2017
Observation date: Oct 14, 2016
Submitted by: opiliones
Region: Clark County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 10, 2017
Observation date: Feb 06, 2017
Submitted by: Candyce
Region: Madison County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: BGilley
Verified date: May 29, 2017
Observation date: May 01, 2017
Submitted by: diwalks2@gmail.com
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 07, 2017
Observation date: Apr 29, 2017
Submitted by: diwalks2@gmail.com
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 07, 2017
Observation date: May 01, 2017
Submitted by: diwalks2@gmail.com
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 07, 2017
Observation date: Mar 30, 2013
Submitted by: diwalks2@gmail.com
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 09, 2017
Observation date: Nov 04, 2012
Submitted by: diwalks2@gmail.com
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 09, 2017
Observation date: Mar 25, 2017
Submitted by: rhedden
Region: Crosby County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Apr 09, 2017
Observation date: Apr 04, 2017
Submitted by: diwalks2@gmail.com
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 08, 2017
Observation date: Mar 28, 2017
Submitted by: diwalks2@gmail.com
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 31, 2017
Observation date: Mar 18, 2017
Submitted by: diwalks2@gmail.com
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 24, 2017
- ‹ previous
- 13 of 57
- next ›