Great Purple Hairstreak Atlides halesus (Cramer, 1777)Threatened (MD)  -  S1S2 (Highly state rare)  -  Vulnerable    Synonyms: Hodges #4270.
Kingdom Animalia   >   Phylum Arthropoda   >   Class Insecta   >   Order Lepidoptera   >   Family Lycaenidae   >   Genus Atlides   

Status:

Restricted to coastal plain swampy areas where host plant Oak Mistletoe is common. Flies June through September. Great Purple Hairstreaks are considered threatened and vulnerable by the Maryland DNR Natural Heritage Program.

Where to find:

Look for this butterfly on the coastal plain nectaring on flowers that grow along swampy road edges.

Relationships:

Host plant is Oak Mistletoe (Phoradendron serotinum).

There are 74 records in the project database.

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A Great Purple Hairstreak in Dorchester Co., Maryland (7/29/2012). Photo by Annette Allor. (MBP list)

A Great Purple Hairstreak in Dorchester Co., Maryland (8/27/2018). Photo by Kevin Heffernan. (MBP list)

A Great Purple Hairstreak in Worcester Co., Maryland (9/4/2019). Photo by Daniel Taylor. (MBP list)

A Great Purple Hairstreak in Dorchester Co., Maryland (9/2/2007). Photo by Steve Collins. (MBP list)

A Great Purple Hairstreak in Wicomico Co., Maryland (7/28/2012). Photo by Lynn Davidson. (MBP list)

A Great Purple Hairstreak in Dorchester Co., Maryland (9/15/2018). Photo by Frode Jacobsen. (MBP list)

A Great Purple Hairstreak found in Dorchester Co., Maryland (9/15/2007). Photo by Jim Brighton. (MBP list)

A Great Purple Hairstreak in Dorchester Co., Maryland (8/18/2019). Photo by Rick Borchelt. (MBP list)

Great Purple Hairstreak in Worcester Co., Maryland (Date obscured). (c) rborchelt, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by rborchelt via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Great Purple Hairstreak in Worcester Co., Maryland (Date obscured). (c) apistopanchax, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Josh Emm. (MBP list)

Great Purple Hairstreak in Queen Anne's Co., Maryland (Date obscured). (c) pcowartrickmanphoto, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Pamela Cowart-Rickman. (MBP list)

Great Purple Hairstreak in Maryland (Date obscured). (c) Jonathan Irons, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by Jonathan Irons. (MBP list)

A Great Purple Hairstreak on blooming Swamp Milkweed in Talbot Co., Maryland (12/1/2017). Photo by Dana Menke. (MBP list)

A Great Purple Hairstreak in Queen Anne's Co., Maryland (8/20/2019). Photo by Lori Byrne. (MBP list)

Great Purple Hairstreak in Maryland (Date obscured). (c) aaron graham, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by aaron_graham via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

A Great Purple Hairstreak in Dorchester Co., Maryland (9/26/2016). Photo by Jim Wilkinson. (MBP list)

A Great Purple Hairstreak in Worcester Co., Maryland (7/9/2017). Photo by Jared Satchell. (MBP list)

Great Purple Hairstreak in Dorchester Co., Maryland (Date obscured). (c) Timothy Reichard, all rights reserved. Photo by Timothy Reichard. (MBP list)

A Great Purple Hairstreak in Kent Co., Delaware (7/21/2012). Photo by Mikey Lutmerding. (MBP list)

Great Purple Hairstreak in Dorchester Co., Maryland (Date obscured). (c) Timothy Reichard, all rights reserved. Photo by Timothy Reichard. (MBP list)

A Great Purple Hairstreak in Worcester Co., Maryland (5/3/2014). Photo by Scott Housten. (MBP list)

A Great Purple Hairstreak found deceased in Worcester Co., Maryland (7/30/2013). Specimens like this provide very useful data on species' distributions. Photo by Scott Housten. (MBP list)


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