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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Butterflies and Skippers (Papilionoidea) » Blues, Coppers, Hairstreaks, Harvesters (Lycaenidae) » Hairstreaks (Theclinae) » Eumaeini » Callophrys » Hoary Elfin - Hodges#4324 (Callophrys polios)

Species Callophrys polios - Hoary Elfin - Hodges#4324

Classification · Hodges Number · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Life Cycle · See Also · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited

Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)

Superfamily Papilionoidea (Butterflies and Skippers)

Family Lycaenidae (Blues, Coppers, Hairstreaks, Harvesters)

Subfamily Theclinae (Hairstreaks)

Tribe Eumaeini

Genus Callophrys

Species polios (Hoary Elfin - Hodges#4324)

Hodges Number

4324

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Callophrys polia

described in 1907 by Cook & Watson, who originally placed it in genus Incisalia

Size

wingspan 22-29 mm in United States; 19-26 mm in Canada

Identification

Adult: upperside of wings orangish-brown in the east, grayer in the west; underside of hindwing with wide terminal band of pale gray frosting; underside of forewing with narrow terminal band of frosting; hindwing underside lacks dark spot (present in Frosted Elfin)

Larva: bright green with lighter green lines down back and sides, and oblique green marks on flanks

Range

Alaska to Nova Scotia, south in the Appalachians to Virginia, south in the Rockies to northern New Mexico

Habitat

open areas with low heath plants (primarily bearberry), pine barrens, meadows, forest edges

Season

adults fly April-May in the south; May-June in the north

Food

larvae feed on Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) and Trailing Arbutus (Epigaea repens)

Life Cycle

one generation per year

See Also

Frosted Elfin

Henry's Elfin

Print References

(1) (2) (3)

Internet References

NABA.org

species account (Butterflies of Canada)

species account (butterfliesandmoths.org)

Works Cited

1.	Butterflies of the East Coast : An Observer's Guide Rick Cech, Guy Tudor. 2005. Princeton University Press.

2.	Butterflies of North America (Kaufman Focus Guides) Jim P. Brock, Kenn Kaufman. 2003. Houghton Mifflin Co.

3.	Butterflies Through Binoculars: The East Jeffrey Glassberg. 1999. Oxford University Press.

Contributed by tom murray on 15 May, 2005 - 9:42pm
Additional contributions by Steve Nanz, Robin McLeod, Chuck Entz
Last updated 2 July, 2017 - 7:35am

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