INTERESTING OBSERVATION OF PURPLE HAIRSTREAK BERRY FOODPLANT
Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2020 12:02 pm
In the sunny weather earlier this week I had spent over an hour searching bramble blossom under a Purple Hairstreak " infested" Oak tree to try and get a close up photo of one nectaring. Not one appeared and so I was about to set off home with a failed mission when a group of walkers approached me along the rather narrow footpath I was on.
So to ensure social distancing I stepped aside off the pathway and turned to face the bushes as a Covid good practice. As they passed and thanked me I suddenly noticed several Purple Hairstreaks flitting about in the bush I was facing.
As I quickly got my camera ready two disappeared but one was still hopping around and landing near any berries on the bush. It eyed up a bunch of berries just near to where it had landed (first photo) and then flitted onto a berry, and pushed its proboscis into the berry(Second photo).
There it sat for about 2 minutes before it moved to another bunch of berries and repeated this feeding technique of pushing its proboscis either into or onto another berry. I could not determine whether its proboscis had pierced the berries or just touched the surface, but I think it was actually piecing the berries. They were impossible for me to reach to examine after the hairstreak had moved on.
He (or she) continued this feeding on berries for just over 40 minutes in total in the middle of the morning before eventually being chased off totally by a Holly blue.(third photo). I have never seen a Purple Hairstreak feeding on berries before and wonder if this has ever been observed by others ? Also I am not a tree man and do not know what the bush was with the berries on it. Any suggestions on the bush species would be appreciated. (Photo 4)
So to ensure social distancing I stepped aside off the pathway and turned to face the bushes as a Covid good practice. As they passed and thanked me I suddenly noticed several Purple Hairstreaks flitting about in the bush I was facing.
As I quickly got my camera ready two disappeared but one was still hopping around and landing near any berries on the bush. It eyed up a bunch of berries just near to where it had landed (first photo) and then flitted onto a berry, and pushed its proboscis into the berry(Second photo).
There it sat for about 2 minutes before it moved to another bunch of berries and repeated this feeding technique of pushing its proboscis either into or onto another berry. I could not determine whether its proboscis had pierced the berries or just touched the surface, but I think it was actually piecing the berries. They were impossible for me to reach to examine after the hairstreak had moved on.
He (or she) continued this feeding on berries for just over 40 minutes in total in the middle of the morning before eventually being chased off totally by a Holly blue.(third photo). I have never seen a Purple Hairstreak feeding on berries before and wonder if this has ever been observed by others ? Also I am not a tree man and do not know what the bush was with the berries on it. Any suggestions on the bush species would be appreciated. (Photo 4)