Callophrys irus
Size:
Wingspan is 7/8 - 1 1/8 inches.
Similar Species:
Henry's Elfin
Brown Elfin
Habitat:
Restricted to areas with lupines in longleaf pine and scrub
oak.
Range/Abundance:
Rare to very rare.
Not much is known about these elfins, perhaps they are overlooked. Look
for it in the coastal plain, sandhills and piedmont.
Flight Period:
Adults fly from mid April until mid May in a single brood.
Larval Host Plants:
Lupines Lupinus perennis, L. diffusus and Wild Indigo Baptisia
tinctoria.
Comments:
Frosted Elfin is the most elusive elfin in the region. Recent records
have been in the Sandhills of the Carolinas, Croatan National Forest and
in 2002 a new site was found in the piedmont in Franklin Co., NC.
The top and second photos were taken in Franklin Co., NC on April 13,
2003. The third photo was taken in Franklin Co., NC on April 15, 2003.
The bottom photo was taken in Franklin Co., NC on April 27, 2003.
