- Family: Lycaenidae
- Scientific name: Neozephyrus quercus (Linnaeus 1758)
- English common name: Purple Hairstreak
- Spanish common name: Nazarena
The Purple Hairstreak – Neozephyrus quercus – Nazarena is fairly small butterfly that occasionally shows the upper wings, which in the males are iridescent purple, while those of the female are brown with a purple patch on the forewing. The under wings carry the characteristic white line of the hairstreaks on a grey ground colour. There are two orange spots on the hind wing edge, the upper one with a black centre. There are very short tail streamers.
The caterpillars of this species grow up to 2.5cm in length, they are mixed shades of brown with a darker dorsal line and prominent lateral ridges.
- Wing size: 24-28mm
- Altitude: Sea level to 2000m
- Flight time: June-September
- Over-wintering: Caterpillar
- Caterpillar food plant: Oak (Quercus sp.)
- Distribution: Most of Europe
Similar species: Spanish Purple Hairstreak (Laeosopis roboris) These lack the fine white lines and have a broad orange band on the wing edge, not the orange spots.
Butterflies of Iberia. These are included in the list of butterflies in Andalusia. Images taken in Andalucia, Southern Spain.
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I’ve been living in western Andalucía for more than 20 years and spend much of my time researching and running English-language travel websites about Spain. My work covers destinations including Cádiz, Ronda, Grazalema and the Caminito del Rey, as well as Wildside Holidays, which focuses on walking, wildlife and nature travel in Spain.
Through Wildside Holidays, I share practical information about Spain’s natural parks, mountains, wildlife and walking destinations, drawing on many years of living and travelling in the country. The aim is to help visitors discover Spain’s natural landscapes responsibly and plan rewarding walking and wildlife experiences.