Purple Hairstreak Butterfly Neozephyrus quercus

The Purple Hairstreak is a small butterfly that spends most of its time high up in oak tree canopies. These came down for moisture one evening in prolonged dry weather.

They feed mainly on aphid honeydew but occasionally they will come down for nectar, especially females while egg-laying, like this one (above right) in my garden in NW London.

The Purple Hairstreak butterfly rarely opens its wings at rest to show the purple sheen that gives it its name. Sometimes they will sunbathe high in the trees.