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 1 - 24 of 1322 verified sightings
Observation date: May 19, 2019
Submitted by: tiki33wv
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 09, 2024
Observation date: Sep 29, 2024
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 30, 2024
Observation date: Sep 15, 2024
Submitted by: jamesvonloh
Region: Hidalgo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 29, 2024
Observation date: Oct 01, 1993
Submitted by: papilio1
Region: Collin County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 27, 2024
Observation date: Apr 25, 2022
Submitted by: dvollmar
Region: Pasco County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 17, 2024
Observation date: Aug 29, 2024
Submitted by: cjgoin
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 30, 2024
Observation date: Aug 25, 2024
Submitted by: Hopeful888
Region: Richland County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 26, 2024
Observation date: Aug 04, 2024
Submitted by: yellowcrocs_64
Region: Sonoma County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 05, 2024
Observation date: Jul 28, 2024
Submitted by: Daohen
Region: Guanajuato, Mexico
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 30, 2024
Observation date: Oct 17, 2023
Submitted by: icosahedron
Region: Contra Costa County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 18, 2024
Observation date: Oct 10, 2023
Submitted by: icosahedron
Region: Santa Clara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 18, 2024
Observation date: Sep 18, 2023
Submitted by: icosahedron
Region: Sonoma County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 18, 2024
Observation date: May 06, 2024
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: McIntosh County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jun 09, 2024
Observation date: Jun 01, 2024
Submitted by: camflies
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 06, 2024
Observation date: Jun 01, 2024
Submitted by: gleelambert
Region: Levy County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 03, 2024
Observation date: May 13, 2024
Submitted by: neflodonata
Region: Levy County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 13, 2024
Observation date: May 09, 2024
Submitted by: pkmcp
Region: Brown County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 09, 2024
Observation date: Mar 28, 2024
Submitted by: jamesvonloh
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 30, 2024
Observation date: Mar 27, 2024
Submitted by: JamieLynn
Region: Aiken County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Mar 28, 2024
Observation date: Mar 17, 2024
Submitted by: asombro_institute
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 23, 2024
Observation date: Feb 16, 2024
Submitted by: mstanek
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Feb 17, 2024
Observation date: Jan 05, 2024
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jan 07, 2024
Observation date: Nov 28, 2023
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Dec 02, 2023
Observation date: Nov 05, 2023
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Nov 08, 2023
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