Great Purple Hairstreak - Atlides halesus

I was captivated by a Rabbit Bush and all that had come to visit, it took most of an hour to pass beyond this Narrowleaf Goldenbush. While photographing this butterfly I was informed that I was standing in a cloud of bees. Granted there were a few bees but most of the rest were bumblebees, wasps and bee flies. But I had waded pretty deep into the bush and decided I was surrounded by in impressive swarm of crazy looking critters that thankfully, had way more interest in the pollen than me. So I shot away to my hearts content. Amazingly after 187 shots and a pile of video I did miss a few of them and never got their photos.

The Great Purple Hairstreak likes plants in the Buckwheat and Daisy Families. There were plenty of plants from each blooming at this late time of year. I don’t see much that is purple here and I had a pretty good view from just a few inches away and just about every angle for about 15 minutes. Maybe if you take all of the colors and stuff them in a blender you can find purple. The butterfly didn’t care, so I kept getting closer. It walked everywhere it went until it finally left, leaving my picture taking finger close to but not quite exhausted.

Those two streaks out the back wiggle around just like the antennae in the front. Surely it must deter some predators to think there is a head at each end. I thought the rear view that looks a bit like a peacock with tail spread was pretty impressive. The Great Purple Hairstreaks like plants in the daisy family, buckwheats, mustards and sages. Got enough video to do one on this guy too . . .

Plants to include in your Butterfly Garden from the buckwheat, mustard and aster families to attract the Great Purple Hairstreak Butterfly:
Achillea Apple Blossom * Apple Blossom Yarrow
Achillea Cerise Queen * Cerise Queen Yarrow
Achillea clavennae * Silver Yarrow
Achillea Desert Paprika * Desert Paprika Yarrow
Achillea filipendulina Coronation Gold * Coronation Gold Yarrow
Achillea Hoffnung * Hoffnung Yarrow
Achillea kellereri * Keller's Yarrow
Achillea lanulosa * Mountain Yarrow
Achillea Moonshine * Moonshine Yarrow
Achillea Paprika * Paprika Yarrow
Achillea Pomegranate * Pomegranate Yarrow
Achillea ptarmica * Pearl Yarrow
Achillea Salmon Beauty * Salmon Beauty Yarrow
Achillea Sonoma Coast * Sonoma Coast Yarrow
Achillea Terracotta * Terracotta Yarrow
Achillea The Beacon * The Beacon Yarrow
Achillea tomentosa * Woolly Yarrow
Anthemis tinctoria * Dyer's Chamomile, Golden Marguerite
Arctotis acaulis Torch Purple * Torch Purple African Daisy
Arctotis gumbletonii * Gumbleton African Daisy
Arctotis Opera Rose * Opera Rose African Daisy
Arctotis Pink Sugar * Pink Sugar African Daisy
Arctotis stoechadifolia * White African Daisy
Arctotis Sun Spot Orange * Sun Spot Orange African Daisy
Argyranthemum Chelsea Girl * Chelsea Girl Silver Marguerite, Chelsea Girl Paris Daisy
Argyranthemum Madeira Cherry Red * Madeira Cherry Red Marguerite, Madeira Cherry Red Paris Daisy
Argyranthemum Silver Lady * Silver Lady Marguerite, Silver Lady Paris Daisy
Araujia sericifera * Bladder Vine, Cruel Vine, Moth Vine
Asclepias angustifolia * Arizona Milkweed
Asclepias californica * California Milkweed
Asclepias cordifolia * Purple Milkweed
Asclepias curassavica * Tropical Milkweed
Asclepias curassavica Red Butterflies * Red Butterflies Tropical Milkweed
Asclepias curassavica Silky Gold * Silky Gold Tropical Milkweed
Asclepias eriocarpa * Woollypod Milkweed, Indian Milkweed, Kotolo Milkweed
Aslepias erosa * Desert Milkweed
Asclepias fascicularis * Narrow Leaf Milkweed
Asclepias linaria * Pine Needle Milkweed
Asclepias speciosa * Showy Milkweed
Asclepias subulata * Rush Milkweed, Skeleton Milkweed
Asclepias tuberosa * Butterfly Weed
Asteriscus maritimus * Sea Daisy
Asteriscus sericeus * Canary Island Daisy
Baileya multiradiata * Desert Marigold
Bidens Beedance Painted Red * Apache Beggarticks
Calendula Zeolights * Pot Marigold
Catananche caerulea * Cupid's Dart
Centaurea cyanus * Bachelor's Button
Centaurea cyanus Black Gem * Black Gem Bachelor's Button
Centaurea gymnocarpa * Pink Dusty Miller
Centaurea montana * Perennial Bachelor's Button, Mountain Bluet
Chaenactis artemisiifolia * White Pincushion
Chrysactinia mexicana * Damianita
Chrysothamnus nauseosus * Rabbit Brush
Cirsium occidentale * Cobwebby Thistle
Coreopsis bigelovii * Bigelow's Coreopsis, Desert Coreopsis
Coreopsis gigantea * Giant Coreopsis
Coreopsis grandiflora Flying Saucers * Flying Saucers Tickseed
Coreopsis grandiflora Sunray * Sunray Tickseed
Coreopsis nana * Mouse Ear Tickseed
Coreopsis verticillata Moobeam * Threadleaf Tickseed
Cosmos atrosanguineus * Chocolate Cosmos
Cosmos sulphureus * Sulfur Cosmos
Dahlia imperialis Tree Dahlia
Echinacea Cheyenne Spirit * Cheyenne Spirit Cone Flower
Echinacea purpurea * Purple Cone Flower
Echinacea Salsa Red * Salsa Red Cone Flower
Echinacea Sunset * Sunset Cone Flower
Echinacea White Swan * White Swan Cone Flower
Encelia californica * California Brittlebush, Coast Sunflower
Encelia californica El Dorado * El Dorado Brittle Bush
Encelia farinosa * Brittlebush
Encelia Paleo Yellow * Paleo Yellow Brittlebush
Encelia ventorum * Baja Bush Sunflower
Ericameria linearifolia * Narrowleaf Goldenbush
Ericameria nauseosa * Rabbit Brush
Erigeron argentatus * Silver Fleabane
Erigeron blochmaniae * Blochman's Erigeron
Erigeron foliosus foliosus * Leafy Fleabane, Hartweg's Fleabane
Erigeron glaucus Bountiful * Bountiful Seaside Daisy
Erigeron glaucus Cape Sebastian * Cape Sebastian Seaside Daisy
Erigeron glaucus Sea Breeze * Sea Breeze Seaside Daisy, Pink Seaside Daisy
Erigeron glaucus Wayne Roderick * Wayne Roderick Seaside Daisy
Erigeron glaucus White Lights * White Lights Seaside Daisy
Erigeron karvinskianus * Santa Barbara Daisy, Mexican Daisy
Erigeron speciosus * Aspen Fleabane, Showy Fleabane, Oregon Fleabane
Eriogonum arborescens * Santa Cruz Island Buckwheat
Eriogonum cinereum * Ashyleaf Buckwheat, Coastal Buckwheat
Eriogonum crocatum * Saffron Buckwheat, Conejo Buckwheat
Eriogonum fasciculatum * California Buckwheat
Eriogonum fasciculatum Warriner Lytle * Warriner Lytle Buckwheat
Eriogonum giganteum * Saint Catherine's Lace
Eriogunum grande rubescens * Pink Buckwheat, Red Buckwheat
Eriogonum incanum * Frosted Buckwheat
Eriogonum latifolium * Seaside Buckwheat, Coast Buckwheat
Eriogonum parviflorum * Sea Cliff Buckwheat, Coastal Buckwheat
Eriogonum umbellatum * Sulphur Buckwheat
Eriogonum wrightii * Bastardsage, Wright's Buckwheat
Eriophyllum confertiflorum * Golden Yarrow
Eriophyllum staechadifolium * Seaside Golden Yarrow
Eryngium planum * Blue Eryngo, Flat Sea Holly
Eryngium variifolia * Moroccan Sea Holly
Eryngium yuccifolium * Button Eryngo, Rattlesnake Master
Erysimum Apricot Twist * Apricot Twist Perennial Wallflower
Erysimum Bowles Mauve * Bowles Mauve Wallflower
Erysimum capitatum * Western Wallflower, Sand Dune Wallflower
Erysimum Jenny Brook * Jenny Brook Wallflower
Erysimum linifolium variegatum * Variegated Wallflower
Euryops virgineus * Honey Euryops
Gaillardia aristata Arizona Apricot * Arizona Apricot Blanketflower
Gaillardia grandiflora * Blanketflower
Gaillardia grandiflora Mesa Red * Mesa Red Blanketflower
Geraea canescens * Hairy Desert Sunflower
Gnaphalium californicum * California Everlasting, California Cudweed
Gomphocarpus fruticosus * Swan Milkweed, Narrow Leaf Cotton Plant
Gomphocarpus physocarpus * Family Jewels, Hairy Balls
Grindelia camporum * Great Valley Gumweed, Great Valley Gumplant
Grindelia stricta * Coast Gumweed, Coast Gumplant
Hoya carnosa * Wax Vine
Isocoma menzeisii * Coastal Goldenbush
Layia platyglossa * Tidy Tips
Leptosyne bigelovii * Bigelow's Coreopsis, Desert Coreopsis
Lessingia filaginafolia * California Aster
Leucanthemum superbum Shasta Daisy
Malacothrix glabrata * Desert Dandylion
Osteospermum Blue Eyed Beauty * Blue Eyed Beauty African Daisy
Osteospermum Bright Lights * Red Freeway Daisy
Osteospermum ecklonis Spider White * Spider White African Daisy
Osteospermum fruticosum * Freeway Daisy
Pseudognaphalium californicum * California Everlasting, California Cudweed
Rafinesquia neomexicana * Desert Chicory, New Mexico Plumeseed
Ratibida columnifera * Mexican Hat Flower, Upright Prarie Coneflower
Rudbeckia Tiger Eye * Black Eyed Susan, Gloriosa Daisy
Stokesia Blue Danube * Blue Danube Stoke's Aster
Stokesia Peachies Pink * Peachie's Pick Stoke's Aster
Stokesia Purple Parasols * Purple Parasols Stoke's Aster
Tagetes lemmonii * Bush Marigold
Tagetes lucida * Mexican Tarragon
Tetraneuris acaulis * Angelita Daisy, Stemless Four Nerve Daisy
Tithonia rotundifolia * Mexican Sunflower
Venegasia carpesioides * Canyon Sunflower