Atlides halesus

Atlides halesus, butterflies commonly known as great purple hairstreaks, are found from Guatemala north to the southern United States. Although they have been seen as far north as Maryland and Oregon, in the interior states they generally stay below the 38th parallel. (Scott, 1986; Struttman, 2001; Tveten and Tveten, 1996)

Atlides halesus live in wooded areas, especially those that are infested with mistletoe, Phoradendron spp. (Scott, 1986; Struttman, 2001)

Atlides halesus are relatively large butterflies, with a wingspan ranging from 30mm to 50mm. The upper side of their wings is black with brilliant iridescent blue. Below, the wings are a purplish black color with gold iridescent markings near the tails. Atlides halesus have two tails attached to each hind wing, one shorter than the other. The underside also has red spots near the attachment to the abdomen. The abdomen is blue on top and red-orange underneath. Females are slightly larger and duller than males.

Atlides halesus larvae are green with dark green bands, yellow stripes, and a narrow green mid-dorsal line. They are also covered in short orange and green hairs.

The pupae are mottled brown and black. (Hall and Butler, 1999; Milne and Milne, 1992; Scott, 1986; Struttman, 2001; Tveten and Tveten, 1996)

Female Atlides halesus scatter their eggs over mistletoe, Phoradendron spp. The larvae hatch and eat the mistletoe until they are fully grown. Then they journey to crevices under the bark or at the base of the host tree where they can safely pupate throughout the winter; in the spring, butterflies emerge. (Hall and Butler, 1999; Tveten and Tveten, 1996)

After emerging from the pupae, Atlides halesus live for about 24 days. (Scott, 1986)

Male Atlides halesus remain local, returning often to the same treetop or hilltop to await a mate. The flowers adults frquent for nectar do not grow at this elevation, so treetops and hilltops serve only as a place to find mates. This is called hilltopping. While hilltopping, they move their wings up and down to attract mates and can trick predators into going after their false head on their wings. When they fly, they do so very slowly. Larvae also move fairly slowly and are slug-like. The adults make several flights through March and November, and fly all year in Florida and South Texas. The pupae hibernate through the winter. (Hall and Butler, 1999; Milne and Milne, 1992; Preston-Mafham and Preston-Mafham, 1993; Scott, 1986)

Atlides halesus communicate with potential mates by flapping their wings up and down while on treetops or hilltops. (Hall and Butler, 1999; Preston-Mafham and Preston-Mafham, 1993)

The larvae of Atlides halesus eat only mistletoe. The younger caterpillars eat the epidermis of the leaf while the older larvae eat the entire leaf. Adults drink the nectar of various flowers in the family Asteraceae, including goldenrods and ragworts. (Scott, 1986; Tveten and Tveten, 1996)

Adult Atlides halesus protect themselves from predators by moving their wings up and down to draw attention to their false heads made by the tails and spots on the hind wings. Thus, if a predator attacks a butterfly by grabbing its tail, the tail will break off and the butterfly can escape.

Camouflage protects both larvae and pupae from large prey, but Atlides halesus have not developed a mechanism to protect the pupae from parasitoid wasps and tachinid flies. (Hall and Butler, 1999; Tveten and Tveten, 1996)

Adult Atlides halesus help to pollinate various flowers in the family Asteraceae. Larvae help control mistletoe populations by eating the mistletoe leaves. The pupae provide a home and food for the developing parasitoid wasps and tachinid flies. (Hall and Butler, 1999; Scott, 1986; Tveten and Tveten, 1996)

None known

None known

The Nature Conservancy Global Rank gives Atlides halesus a ranking of G5, which means that the species is secure globally, although it may be rare in the periphery of its habitat range. (Struttman, 2001)

Atlides halesus are the only species within the genus Atlides. (Arnett, 1985; Holland, 1910)