I dopped off two coontie plants that had new growth on them at The Florida Native Butterfly Society @ The Shell Factory in April, as they have a colony established. Success! The atala butterflies found my plants and laid numerous eggs. On April 29, I brought home those coonties and waited for the baby caterpillars to arrive.

Well today 5 absolutely stunning atala butterflies have emerged.

The atala butterfly, eumaeus atala Poey, a hairstreak, is among the largest and most iridescent in southeastern Florida, according to the University of Florida. At one time this butterfly was thought to be extinct from 1937 to 1959 due to its host plant, coontie, being overharvested for its root by early settlers for its starch production. Although this butterfly is still considered rare, colonies have been established due to the coontie being introduced into gardens and landscapes.

This small hairstreak is found in Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade counties in southeastern Florida with colonies being established north as well. The Florida Native Butterfly Society has done a tremendous amount of work to establish a colony in North Fort Myers. With the help of bringing home atala eggs, the hope is to establish a colony in my garden as well.

The adult’s forewing length can range from under 2 cm to 2.7 cm according to the University of Florida. The outer surface of both the female and male wing has “three curved rows of ultramarine spots,” which are iridescent. The University of Florida said there are two suggested functions of iridescence – defense and mate recognition.

The female has royal blue color on part of the upper surface of the forewing, while the male has bright iridescent Caribbean blue, or teal green.