The atala are bad and they know it-which is why you they let you touch them! It is the largest hairstreak butterfly in the U.S., and it was almost extinct because the plant it feeds on, the coontie, was overharvested as a source of starch from 1937 until 1959. It is only found in Southeast Florida. Adults have a slow, fluttering flight and sip nectar from flowers during early morning and late afternoon. The reluctance to fly is an example of aposematic coloration (warning), as its host food plant is laced with the toxic chemical cycasin. Most aposematic insects advertise the fact that they are dangerous with bright contrasting colors. The iridescent greens and blues on the wings, the red-orange abdomens, and the red spots on the hind wings are warnings to predators. Only 1" x 1" in size, and both male and female fit in the 5" x 6" frame. |
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