Purple Hairstreak Butterfly (Quercusia quercus)

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Photo by injica

Published on Project Noah

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45.0636, 13.6823

Field Notes

Description:

This active little butterfly is most often seen fluttering around high up in oak trees on warm sunny July and early August days. Males have a glossy purple sheen on the upperside, females have two patches on the forewing only. The underside is light grey with a white streak, edged in black, running down the middle of both wings. The hindwings have a short tail with two orange spots at the base on the underside.

Habitat:

It is distributed throughout much of Europe, North Africa, Asia Minor, Caucasus and Transcaucasia. The larva feeds on Quercus robur, Quercus petraea, Quercus cerris and Quercus ilex.

Notes:

Other Latin names: Favonius quercus, Papilio quercus, Neozephyrus quercus, Thecla quercus.

Reference Links:

Purple Hairstreak, Quercusia quercus

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