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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 457 - 480 of 667 verified sightings
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: BAMONA (F.R. Hedges)
Region: United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Sep 06, 2010
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: MaryAnn Friedman (MaryAnn Friedman)
Region: Nassau County, Florida, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Sep 06, 2010
Observation date: Apr 18, 1964
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Lambremont & Ross)
Region: Grant Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (P.A. Opler)
Verified date: Mar 09, 2010
Observation date: Mar 21, 2008
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Craig Marks)
Region: Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Craig Marks, P.A. Opler)
Verified date: Mar 09, 2010
Observation date: Apr 26, 2009
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Tom Neal)
Region: Okaloosa County, Florida, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Tom Neal, P.A. Opler)
Verified date: Mar 09, 2010
Observation date: Mar 16, 2008
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Craig Marks)
Region: Grant Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Craig Marks, P.A. Opler)
Verified date: Mar 09, 2010
Observation date: Jan 01, 1990
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Tom Neal)
Region: Clay County, Florida, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Tom Neal, P.A. Opler)
Verified date: Mar 09, 2010
Observation date: Apr 06, 2008
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Heck, Berlin)
Region: McCurtain County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Nelson, John M.)
Verified date: Apr 03, 2009
Observation date: Apr 06, 2000
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (J. Howard Williamson)
Region: Scott County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (The Lepidopterists' Season Summary)
Verified date: Oct 20, 2008
Observation date: Apr 01, 2000
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (D. Craig Rudolph)
Region: Hempstead County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (The Lepidopterists' Season Summary)
Verified date: Oct 20, 2008
Observation date: Apr 02, 2001
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Charles A. Ely)
Region: Montgomery County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (The Lepidopterists' Season Summary)
Verified date: Oct 20, 2008
Observation date: Mar 24, 2007
Submitted by: Jeff Trahan (Jeff Trahan)
Region: Caddo Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: nick.grishin (Nick Grishin)
Verified date: Oct 03, 2008
Observation date: Mar 30, 2008
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Dean & Sally Jue)
Region: Franklin County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun (John Calhoun)
Verified date: Apr 28, 2008
Observation date: Apr 12, 2008
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Dean & Sally Jue)
Region: Leon County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun (John Calhoun)
Verified date: Apr 28, 2008
Observation date: Mar 23, 2008
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Dean & Sally Jue)
Region: Liberty County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun (John Calhoun)
Verified date: Apr 22, 2008
Observation date: Jan 01, 1824
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (T.R. Peale Collection)
Region: Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright (David Wright)
Verified date: Jan 08, 2008
Observation date: Jan 01, 1970
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Richard B. Dominick Moth and Butterfly Collection)
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Dr. F. Lance Wallace of The Citadel, Charleston SC)
Verified date: Dec 10, 2007
Observation date: Mar 20, 2004
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Linda & Buck Cooper)
Region: Nassau County, Florida, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (J. Calhoun)
Verified date: Aug 30, 2007
Observation date: Mar 13, 2004
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Dave Cutler)
Region: Nassau County, Florida, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (J. Calhoun)
Verified date: Aug 30, 2007
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Madison County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Jan 29, 2007
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright (David Wright)
Verified date: Jan 08, 2007
Observation date: May 15, 2002
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (James McCann)
Region: Caroline County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Description reviewed by Richard Smith)
Verified date: Nov 14, 2006
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Hoke County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: harrylegrand (Harry LeGrand)
Verified date: Oct 25, 2006
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Harnett County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: harrylegrand (Harry LeGrand)
Verified date: Oct 25, 2006
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