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Santa Clarita and Northern Los Angeles County Area Butterfly and Moth Site

Great Purple Hairstreak [Altides halesus corcorani] Adult Insect Images

New, High Res images of a male, female, and female underside. Note the sexes are dimorphic; the males being smaller and more iridecent than the females, which are a less reflective powder blue. The males also have only one tail per wing where the females have two. The colors and tails on the hind wing give the appearance of a false head and antennae, giving predators something less damaging to nip at while the bug flies off in the opposite direction. The butterfly can lose most of its hind wings to predator attack and still fly just fine. Clever nature!

Great Purple Hairstreak (Altides halesus corcorani) adult male butterfly

Great Purple Hairstreak (Altides halesus corcorani) adult female butterfly

Great Purple Hairstreak (Altides halesus corcorani) adult butterfly underside

New, High Res images.

Great Purple Hairstreak (Altides halesus corcorani) freshly-emerged adult butterfly

Images of living insects

(These photos of a fresh male are provided by Nancy Weagly - Thanks!)

Great Purple Hairstreak (Altides halesus corcorani) adult butterfly (image courtesy of Nancy Weagly)

Older specimen images

Great Purple Hairstreak (Altides halesus corcorani) adult butterfly older specimen image

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