Moss' Elfin
Callophrys mossii (Hy. Edwards, 1881)
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Theclinae
Identification: Upperside of male grayish brown with a tan patch on hindwing inner margin; female light brown to tan with dark borders. Underside coppery brown to purplish brown; inner half of hindwing darker than light outer half.
Wing Span: 7/8 - 1 1/8 inches (2.2 - 2.8 cm).
Life History: In California, males perch on shrubs or at tops of cliffs to watch for females; in Colorado they perch in gulches. Eggs are laid singly on the underside of host plant leaves. Young caterpillars feed on leaves; older ones on flowers and fruits. Chrysalids hibernate.
Flight: One flight from March-June.
Caterpillar Hosts: Stonecrop (Sedum, Sedella, Dudleya, and Parvisedum) species in the Crassulaceae family.
Adult Food: Not reported.
Habitat: Rocky outcrops, woody canyons, cliffs.
Range: Patchy, isolated populations from British Columbia south to southern California, east to Wyoming and Colorado.
Conservation: The San Bruno Elfin (Callophrys mossii bayensis) is listed as Endangered by the U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service. This subspecies is limited to the San Bruno Mountains in San Mateo County, California and a few nearby sites. The San Bruno Elfin has The Nature Conservancy Rank of T1 - Critically imperiled because of extreme rarity (5 or fewer occurrences, or very few remaining individuals), or because of some factor of its biology making it especially vulnerable to extinction. (Critically endangered throughout its range).
NCGR:
Management Needs: Protect habitat of the San Bruno Elfin and other limited populations from development and encroachment by non-native plants.
Comments: NULL
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 255 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 09, 2025
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Monterey County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 15, 2025
Observation date: Jun 09, 2025
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Monterey County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 15, 2025
Observation date: Apr 10, 2025
Submitted by: dchartier
Region: Douglas County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: May 11, 2025
Observation date: May 07, 2025
Submitted by: glennfine
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 10, 2025
Observation date: May 01, 2025
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: May 02, 2025
Observation date: Apr 20, 2025
Submitted by: Seth Mueller
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 27, 2025
Observation date: Jun 21, 2024
Submitted by: regina rochefort
Region: Skagit County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jun 22, 2024
Observation date: Jun 12, 2024
Submitted by: glennfine
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 16, 2024
Observation date: Apr 28, 2024
Submitted by: glennfine
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 02, 2024
Observation date: Apr 22, 2024
Submitted by: glennfine
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 02, 2024
Observation date: Apr 28, 2024
Submitted by: glennfine
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 02, 2024
Observation date: Apr 28, 2024
Submitted by: glennfine
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 02, 2024
Observation date: Apr 22, 2024
Submitted by: glennfine
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 26, 2024
Observation date: Apr 13, 2024
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Apr 14, 2024
Observation date: Apr 13, 2024
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Apr 14, 2024
Observation date: Apr 13, 2024
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Apr 14, 2024
Observation date: Apr 13, 2024
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Apr 14, 2024
Observation date: Apr 13, 2024
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Apr 14, 2024
Observation date: Apr 13, 2024
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Apr 14, 2024
Observation date: Apr 13, 2024
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Apr 14, 2024
Observation date: Mar 16, 2024
Submitted by: Dobber31
Region: San Mateo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 17, 2024
Observation date: Jul 05, 2023
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jul 05, 2023
Observation date: May 13, 2023
Submitted by: cklindsey
Region: Umatilla County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 20, 2023
Observation date: May 10, 2023
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 13, 2023
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