Atala Hairstreak Butterfly

This precious little Hairstreak is called the Atala or Coontie Hairstreak. It occurs on a small area on the tip of Florida as well as Cuba, the Bahamas and the Cayman Islands. The abdomen is bright red and they have a red spot on the underwings. The larvae absorb toxic chemicals from their host plant for which they display aposematic (warning) coloring both as larvae and adults. The upper wings are metallic blue although they rarely open their wings once they have landed. Family Lycaenidae.