Callophrys augustinus
Size:
Wingspan is 7/8 - 1 1/8 inches.
Similar Species:
Henry's Elfin
Frosted Elfin
Habitat:
Clearings, poor soil woodlands, pine-oak-heath barrens, pinewoods with
turkey oak scrub and power line cuts.
Range/Abundance:
Rare
to uncommon in the eastern piedmont, sandhills and the mountains.
Flight Period:
Adults fly from mid April until mid May in a single brood.
Larval Host Plants:
Blueberries Vaccinium spp., Box Huckleberry Gaylussacia brachycera
Comments:
These plain brown elfins require a purposeful search to find them.
The courtship flight is something to watch. They fly together 3-6 inches apart and spin in a Z or W type circle up and down from two to six foot off the ground for long periods of time.
The top photo was taken in Weymouth Woods State Preserve at the Paint Hill site in Moore Co., NC on March 15, 2000. The second photo was taken in Orange Co., NC on March 30, 2002. The third photo was taken in Orange Co., NC during mid March of 2001. The bottom photo was taken at Horseshoe Mountain in Chesterfield Co., SC on March 20, 2005.
