This beautiful mid-size skipper arrived at the willow as seen here. It rested there for a long while, and constantly rubbed its hindwinds like I've seen other skippers do. It's not shown, but the 'lil one has a very bright, orange adomen. Please help I.D.
#2
Oooops, I was all confused, I said skipper but I was thinking of hairstreaks. Anyhow, please help I.D. the mid-size butterfly. It's larger than the hairstreaks, but smaller than a gulf frit.
It is the Great Purple Hairstreak!! A really cool but large hairstreak, definately not the norm coloring.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/bf/go/118/
Lily,
You've got a Great Purple Hairstreak (Atlides halesus). They use mistletoe as a larval host. Aren't they beauties!!! We see them out here most of the time and I never cease to be awed by their beautiful coloring.
~ Cat
Thank Sheila, thanks Cat~. Isn't it a beauty? I'm so delighted. I've a case of butterfly - withdrawal lately because I don't get to see many in the garden. Having seen this one, it soothes my yearning some. lol.
Thanks again.
I have only gotten to see one of them but I know they are around here at least.
They're such a delight to find. I hope I'll see more of them.
Wow! So gorgeous! How can I get some mistletoe.... hee hee hee!
Just gorgeous, Lily - they're one of my favorite butterflies!
An oddly colored one visited me once - he was white where he should have been red -
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y89/PucPuggy/WhiteGPH3.jpg
Here's a normally colored one -
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y89/PucPuggy/GPH.jpg
Sherry
http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/special/mistletoe/
I did a search on mistletoe and butterflies, found this article, pretty cool! I really hope to a great purple hairstreak sometime in real life, just stunning.
Here is a section from the above link about the hairstreaks...
"According to butterfly expert and Colorado State University professor Paul Opler, three kinds of butterflies in the United States are entirely dependent on mistletoes for their survival: the great purple hairstreak, the thicket haristreak, and the Johnson’s hairstreak. The great purple hairstreak, says Opler, is the only butterfly in the United States that feeds on American mistletoe, the Christmas mistletoe. This beautiful butterfly lays its eggs on the mistletoe, where the resulting caterpillars thrive one a mistletoe diet. The caterpillars of the other two butterflies feed on dwarf mistletoes. The Johnson’s hairstreak, restricted to just the Pacific states, is usually found in association with old-growth conifer forests, the same places spotted owls prefer. The caterpillars of these butterflies closely mimic the appearance of the mistletoe with their mottled green and olive shades. Like people, the butterflies of these species use mistletoe for courtship rituals. After courting and mating in the mistletoe high in the canopy, the adults leave their eggs behind in the mistletoe. The adults of all three species drink nectar from the mistletoe flowers. Mistletoe is also important nectar and pollen plant for honeybees and other native bees, says Erik Erikson, a bee researcher at the USDA Bee Research Lab. Mistletoe flowers, says Erikson, often provides the first pollen available in the spring for the hungry bees. "We look upon it as an important starter food source for the bees," said Erikson. ..........."
How interesting, Texas_Viola! Thanks for posting it!
Sherry
Thanks all for your input. I'm gaining more confidence that butterflies will eventually return to my garden. :-)
