Misnomer
Guides
Atlides halesus
Great Purple Hairstreak, Great Blue Hairstreak
Atlides halesus is a striking gossamer-winged butterfly in the family Lycaenidae, notable for its misnomer of a common name—despite being called the "Great Purple Hairstreak," it displays iridescent blue coloration rather than purple. This Neotropical species ranges from warm-temperate and subtropical North America southward nearly to the Isthmus of Panama. The larvae feed exclusively on mistletoe species (Phoradendron spp.), making this butterfly dependent on the presence of these parasitic plants. Adults are known for hilltopping behavior, where males defend perches on elevated terrain to intercept females.
Tinea occidentella
Western Clothes Moth
Tinea occidentella is a keratophagous moth species in the family Tineidae, native to coastal California and northern Baja California. Despite its common name "western clothes moth," it does not feed on clothing but instead consumes keratin from mammalian carnivore scat and bird of prey pellets. The species is tightly restricted to fog-influenced coastal environments where high humidity allows larvae to obtain water from atmospheric moisture absorbed by their fur and feather diet.