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.
Comments: NULL
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 361 - 384 of 667 verified sightings
Observation date: May 21, 2006
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (J. Pippen)
Region: Harnett County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Apr 28, 1991
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (R. Boscoe)
Region: Moore County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Anderson)
Region: Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: May 19, 1995
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Nielsen, Mogens C.)
Region: Montcalm County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: Ranger Steve Mueller (Steven J. Mueller)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Apr 19, 1998
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (HEL)
Region: Scotland County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Anderson)
Region: Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jul 03, 2006
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Osborne, Neil and Sharon)
Region: Orange County, Vermont, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Osborne, Neil and Sharon)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Apr 15, 2003
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (R. Emmitt)
Region: Franklin County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jan 01, 1993
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Maier)
Region: Windham County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Gall, L.; Wagner, D.; O'Donnell, J.)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Apr 18, 2004
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (HEL,Pippen)
Region: Franklin County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jan 01, 1949
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Wilhelm)
Region: New London County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Gall, L.; Wagner, D.; O'Donnell, J.)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Apr 20, 2006
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (ASH, M. McCloy)
Region: Moore County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jun 02, 1999
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Maier, C. T.)
Region: Windham County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Gall, L.; Wagner, D.; O'Donnell, J.)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Brunswick County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jun 11, 1997
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (O'Donnell, J.)
Region: Tolland County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Gall, L.; Wagner, D.; O'Donnell, J.)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Craven County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Apr 25, 1993
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (HEL)
Region: Scotland County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Anderson)
Region: Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: May 01, 1999
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Nielsen, Mogens C.)
Region: Allegan County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: Ranger Steve Mueller (Steven J. Mueller)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Apr 08, 2000
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (B. Sullivan)
Region: Jones County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jan 01, 1955
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Bower)
Region: New London County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Gall, L.; Wagner, D.; O'Donnell, J.)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: May 01, 2003
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (D. Carter)
Region: Pender County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jan 01, 1966
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Taylor)
Region: Tolland County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Gall, L.; Wagner, D.; O'Donnell, J.)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Apr 17, 2005
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (D. Carter)
Region: Pender County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina Database)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
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