Purple Hairstreak

Scientific Name - Favonius quercus

Flight Period - June to August

Overwinters as - Egg

Habitat - Hedgerows, parks, woodland

Larval foodplants - Oak

Conservation status - Low priority

Northamptonshire distribution - Widespread

Best public sites to see them - Bucknell Wood, Fermyn Woods, Fineshade Woods, Hazelborough Forest and Wood, Plumpton Wood, Salcey Forest.

The Purple Hairstreak is a common and widespread butterfly in Northamptonshire, but as it spends much of its time up in the canopy it is seldom noticed by the average passerby. They are often more active in the mornings and late afternoons and spending a few minutes looking at the tops of the Oaks, especially on warm and still days can be very productive. This is primarily a woodland butterfly but even some of the most unlikely of Oaks can have them. In the past I’ve seen quite large Purple Hairstreak colonies existing on Oak trees in the middle of fields, miles away from the nearest woodland. Occasionally, it is possible to see Purple Hairstreaks down low on the ground or on low-level vegetation. The heatwave in July of 2022 saw them descend in large numbers and in 2023 they were seen down low in all of our woodlands for a number of weeks. It is the only Hairstreak in Northamptonshire to bask with its wings open so if you struggling to identify a Hairstreak high up a tree and it opens its wings it has to be a Purple Hairstreak. This is a widespread butterfly but the best sites to see them include Bucknell Wood, Fermyn Woods, Fineshade Woods, Hazelborough Forest and Wood, Plumpton Wood, and Salcey Forest. For more information about how to identify the Hairstreaks please click here.

Purple Hairstreak Distribution 2018 - 2022

Purple Hairstreak

Purple Hairstreak

Despite spending most of their time up in the canopy Purple Hairstreaks do occasionally come down to the floor, especially in periods of hot weather

Purple Hairstreak eggs can be quite easy to find in the winter