Brown Elfin
(Callophrys augustinus)
Hairstreaks and Elfins
Appearance: No tails. Above, male gray-brown; female reddish brown. Below, reddish brown with dark, irregular postmedian line; hindwing darker at base and along hindwing margin.
Wingspan: Small; less than 1 1/2 inches.
Habitat: Along dry hillsides and in open areas around pine woodlands where host plant is found. Probably our most widespread and commonly encountered elfin; foothills, montane.
Flight Times: Mid-April to June, often one of the earlier butterflies to fly in spring.
Larval Foodplant: Kinnikinnick/Bearberry (Trailing arbutus).
Did You Know…
Eggs are laid on the flower buds of the host plant and the resulting pupae overwinter among the leaf litter until spring when the adults emerge (Angel, 2005).
