Western Pine Elfin (Callophrys eryphon [Boisduval])
Wing span: 1 - 1 3/8 inches (2.5 - 3.5 cm).
Identification: Tailless. Wings reddish-brown; undersides of fore- and hindwing have very jagged dark submarginal bands.
Life history: Males perch on shrubs and small trees to look for females. Eggs are laid at the base of young needles; caterpillars feed on young needles and catkins. Chrysalids hibernate and adults emerge in spring.
Flight: One flight from May-June.
Caterpillar hosts: Young needles of hard pines including lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta), limber pine (P. flexilis), and ponderosa pine (P. ponderosa); possibly black spruce.
Adult food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Pine forests.
Range: British Columbia east to Maine; south to southern California, Arizona, and New Mexico.
