The type specimen, however, was shipped to Europe from the Colony of Virginia, probably around the time of the United States Declaration of Independence.

The common names refer to the butterfly's two main colors – dusky purple on the underside, and iridescent blue above.

Particularly the males are very colorful in flight – brilliant blue and velvety black, with bright red and golden markings – but when sitting down they show their inconspicuous dusky purple underside.

During oviposition, female butterflies will lay as many as twenty single eggs at different locations on the leaves of a mistletoe plant.

[7] Caterpillars are commonly spotted in the spring to early summer and have been primarily found on leaves and non-woody stems of mistletoe.

[10][7] Next, the larvae pupate in well-protected areas close to the base of trees under pieces of bark or fallen leaves.

Adult butterflies have their orange and black colorings to signal the protective toxins and even have a behavior of rubbing their wings together.

[7][10] The great purple hairstreak has various natural enemies including parasitoid wasps, the species being Apanteles sp.