Iridescent-blue
Guides
Atlides
Great Purple Hairstreak (for A. halesus)
Atlides is a genus of gossamer-winged butterflies in the family Lycaenidae, subfamily Theclinae, tribe Eumaeini. The genus contains approximately 18 named species plus 5 or more undescribed species distributed across the Americas from the southern United States to Argentina. The most well-known species, Atlides halesus (great purple hairstreak), is notable for its iridescent blue coloration—despite its common name containing "purple"—and its exclusive larval association with mistletoe species (Phoradendron). Males of at least some species possess androconial scales producing distinctive volatile compounds; A. polybe males emit a grape-like aroma from methyl anthranilate, the first such compound reported in Papilionoidea.