The Great Purple Hairstreak Butterfly (Altides halesus) is widely distributed in the southern and western United States, but is considered a rare butterfly in most places, and is seldom seen by most people. The larvae feed on various species of Mistletoe. The adult butterflies rarely open their wings, except to take flight, and usually appear dark charcoal/black-colored when at rest with their wings over their backs. The only time to see the amazing spectacle of their irridescent top side is when they first emerge from the chrysalis and expand their wings.
The sexes are dimorphic, with the smaller males being a deep metallic blue-green, while the slightly larger females are a less reflective powder blue color.
Much more butterfly and moth life cycle documentary is available, free to the public at lepidoptera.jcmdi.com.
