Atlides halesus

Geographic Range

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.

• Biogeographic Regions
• nearctic nearctic
  • native native
• neotropical neotropical
  • native native

Habitat

Atlides halesus live in wooded areas, especially those that are infested with mistletoe, Phoradendron spp.

• Habitat Regions
• temperate temperate

• Terrestrial Biomes
• forest forest

Physical Description

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.

• Other Physical Features
• ectothermic ectothermic
• heterothermic heterothermic
• bilateral symmetry bilateral symmetry

• Sexual Dimorphism
• female larger
• male more colorful

Development

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.

• Development - Life Cycle
• metamorphosis metamorphosis

Reproduction

Male Atlides halesus will wait on treetops or hilltops from noon to untill sundown (earlier on colder days) for a female to fly by. This mating system is called landmark based. Males will move their wings up and down to attract females. After mating, females will scatter their eggs over mistletoe, Phoradendron spp., so that the larvae will be able to eat. They breed from March through November, each female laying several broods each.

• Mating System
• polygynandrous (promiscuous) polygynandrous (promiscuous)

Male Atlides halesus often return to the same treetop or hilltop for days at a time to await new mates.

• Key Reproductive Features
• seasonal breeding seasonal breeding
• sexual sexual
• fertilization fertilization
  • internal internal
• oviparous oviparous

After female Atlides halesus lay their eggs it is up to the larvae to feed and protect themselves.

• Parental Investment
• no parental involvement
• pre-fertilization
  • provisioning
  • protecting
    • female

Lifespan/Longevity

After emerging from the pupae, Atlides halesus live for about 24 days.

Behavior

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.

• Key Behaviors
• flies
• diurnal diurnal
• motile motile
• migratory migratory
• hibernation hibernation
• social social

Communication and Perception

Atlides halesus communicate with potential mates by flapping their wings up and down while on treetops or hilltops.

• Communication Channels
• visual visual

• Perception Channels
• visual visual

Food Habits

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.

• Primary Diet
• herbivore herbivore
  • folivore folivore
  • nectarivore nectarivore

• Plant Foods
• leaves
• nectar

Predation

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.

Ecosystem Roles

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.

• Ecosystem Impact
• pollinates
• creates habitat

Economic Importance for Humans: Positive

None known

Economic Importance for Humans: Negative

None known

Conservation Status

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.

Other Comments

Atlides halesus are the only species within the genus Atlides .

Additional Links

Encyclopedia of Life

Contributors

Sara Diamond (editor), Animal Diversity Web.

Camilia VanCamp (author), Southwestern University, Stephanie Fabritius (editor), Southwestern University.

References

Arnett, R. 1985. American Insects . New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Company.

Hall, D., J. Butler. 1999. "University of Florida Department of Entomology and Nematology" (On-line). Accessed November 28, 2001 at http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/bfly/purple_hairstreak.htm .

Holland, W. 1910. The Butterfly Book . Golden City, New York: Doubleday, Page, & Company.

Milne, L., M. Milne. 1992. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects and Spiders . New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc..

Preston-Mafham, R., K. Preston-Mafham. 1993. The Encyclopedia of Land Invertebrate Behavior . Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press.

Scott, J. 1986. The Butterflies of North America . Stanford, California: Stanford University Press.

Struttman, J. 2001. "National Prairie Wildlife Research Center" (On-line). Accessed November 28, 2001 at http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/bflyusa/nj/282.htm .

Tveten, J., G. Tveten. 1996. Butterflies of Houston & Southeast Texas . Austin, Texas: University of Texas Press.