Great Purple Hairstreak

  • Family name: Lycaenidae/Gossamer Wings
  • General description: Male iridescent blue with broad black borders and large black forewing stigma; female black with dusty blue scaling limited to wing bases. Ventral hindwing dull black with two long tails and red basal spots. Abdomen red.
  • Field Marks: large for a hairstreak; long hindwing tails; abdomen red; ventral hindwing black with red basal spots; dorsal wings surfaces iridescent blue
  • Sexes: appear different
  • Wingspan: 30-42 mm
  • Life Cycle: Egg: whitish, flattened, laid singly on host leaves Mature larva: green Chrysalis: dark brown
  • Number of Generations: multiple
  • Flight Season: February-November
  • Abundance: Common
  • Habitat: parks, woodlands, forest margins, swamps
  • Counties: Alachua, Baker, Bay, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Calhoun, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, De Soto, Dixie, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Glades, Gulf, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Holmes, Indian River, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Volusia, Wakulla, Walton, Washington
  • Larval Host Plants: Mistletoe (Phoradendron serotinum)
  • Similar Species:
  • Additional Information: Adults spend much of their time high in the canopy; most often encountered at flowers

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