Attributes of Callophrys irus
Frosted Elfin
Callophrys irus (Godart, [1824])
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Theclinae
Identification: One short tail on the hindwing. Upperside brown; male with long oval dark spot on leading edge of forewing. Below, postmedian line of forewing is irregular; that of hindwing is faint. Hindwing with submarginal black spot above tail.
Wing Span: 1 - 1 1/4 inches (2.5 - 3.2 cm).
Life History: Eggs are laid singly on flower buds of host plant; caterpillars eat flowers and developing seedpods. Chrysalids hibernate in loose cocoons in litter beneath the plant.
Flight: One flight from March-April in the south, May-June in the north.
Caterpillar Hosts: Members of the pea family (Fabaceae) indigo (Baptisia tinctoria) and lupine (Lupinus perennis); occasionally blue false indigo (B. australis) and rattlebox (Crotalaria sagittalis).
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Open woods and forest edges, fields, scrub.
Range: Occurs in local colonies from Maine west across New York and southern Michigan to central Wisconsin; south along Atlantic coast and Appalachians to Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. Isolated colony in eastern Texas, northwest Louisiana, and southwest Arkansas.
Conservation: Populations are often small and local. Callophrys irus hadros of east Texas is particularly limited.
NCGR: G3 - Very rare or local throughout its range or found locally in a restricted range (21 to 100 occurrences). (Threatened throughout its range).
Management Needs: Maintain habitat by controlled burns or other physical means.
Taxonomy Notes:
Images of Callophrys irus
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The map below displays all verified sighting records in the BAMONA database for this species. Each record is indicated with a yellow dot. The orange dots on the map provide access to information about the 400 most recently verified sightings of this species. In some instances, there are several records at the same location. Use the table view to access these records.
Instructions: Click on the map and move your mouse to pan.
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The fifty most recently verified sightings are below. See more recently verified sightings of all species.
| Observation Date | Submitter | Region |
Verified Date |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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May 05, 2013 | stormyeyes99 | Albany County, New York, United States | May 10, 2013 | Details |
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March 20, 2013 | Charles_Mills | Hempstead County, Arkansas, United States | April 06, 2013 | Details |
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March 26, 2012 | Chip Krilowicz | Cumberland County, New Jersey, United States | June 11, 2012 | Details |
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April 29, 2012 | Lauenstein | Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States | June 11, 2012 | Details |
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March 01, 2012 | Jeff Trahan | Caddo Parish, Louisiana, United States | March 27, 2012 | Details |
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March 12, 2012 | Jeff Trahan | Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States | March 27, 2012 | Details |
| June 09, 1997 | legacy.reporter (Jackie Sones) | Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 12, 1993 | legacy.reporter (Brian Cassie) | Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 15, 1999 | legacy.reporter (Allan Keith) | Dukes County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 22, 1998 | legacy.reporter (Matt Pelikan) | Dukes County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 13, 1999 | legacy.reporter (Matt Pelikan) | Dukes County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 09, 1999 | legacy.reporter (Matt Pelikan) | Dukes County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 16, 1999 | legacy.reporter (Matt Pelikan) | Dukes County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| June 14, 1992 | legacy.reporter (Mark Fairbrother) | Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 09, 1993 | legacy.reporter (Mark Fairbrother) | Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 08, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Mark Fairbrother) | Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 14, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Mark Fairbrother) | Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 18, 1997 | legacy.reporter (Tom Gagnon + Mark Fairbrother) | Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 01, 1999 | legacy.reporter (Dottie Case) | Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 15, 1998 | legacy.reporter (Tom Gagnon) | Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 09, 1999 | legacy.reporter (Tom Gagnon) | Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| June 11, 1997 | legacy.reporter (Matt Pelikan) | Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 31, 1997 | legacy.reporter (Matt Pelikan) | Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 02, 1999 | legacy.reporter (Richard Hildreth) | Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 20, 1994 | legacy.reporter (Tom Dodd) | Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 25, 1994 | legacy.reporter (Tom Dodd) | Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 03, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Tom Dodd) | Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 28, 1997 | legacy.reporter (Tom Dodd) | Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 28, 1994 | legacy.reporter (Brian Cassie) | Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| June 08, 1997 | legacy.reporter (Brian Cassie) | Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 15, 1999 | legacy.reporter (Brian Cassie) | Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 16, 1999 | legacy.reporter (Tom Dodd+Cathy Dodd) | Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 19, 1992 | legacy.reporter (Brian Cassie) | Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 14, 1999 | legacy.reporter (Richard Hildreth) | Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 31, 1999 | legacy.reporter (Tom Dodd) | Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 22, 1999 | legacy.reporter (Tom Dodd+Cathy Dodd) | Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 16, 1993 | legacy.reporter (Tom Dodd) | Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 23, 1993 | legacy.reporter (Tom Dodd) | Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 23, 1998 | legacy.reporter (Tom Dodd+Cathy Dodd+MBC) | Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 14, 1997 | legacy.reporter (Gail Howe) | Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| June 06, 1997 | legacy.reporter (Gail Howe) | Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 01, 1998 | legacy.reporter (Gail Howe) | Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 22, 1999 | legacy.reporter (Gail Howe) | Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| June 06, 2004 | legacy.reporter (Alison Robb) | Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| June 21, 2005 | legacy.reporter (Alison Robb) | Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| April 20, 2002 | legacy.reporter (Mark Lynch + Sheila Carroll) | Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 19, 2004 | legacy.reporter (Gene Albanese) | Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 30, 2005 | legacy.reporter (Gene Albanese) | Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 22, 2002 | legacy.reporter (Matt Pelikan) | Dukes County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 23, 2000 | legacy.reporter (Matt Pelikan) | Dukes County, Massachusetts, United States | January 01, 2012 | Details |
