Callophrys mossii, commonly known as Moss's elfin, stonecrop elfin or Schryver's elfin, is a species of butterfly native to North America in the family Lycaenidae. It is found from British Columbia south to southern California and east to Wyoming and Colorado in isolated populations. The habitat consists of rocky outcrops, woody canyons and cliffs.[1]
| Moss's elfin | |
|---|---|
| |
| Callophrys mossii ssp. bayensis | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Lycaenidae |
| Genus: | Callophrys |
| Species: | C. mossii
|
| Binomial name | |
| Callophrys mossii (H. Edwards, 1881)
| |
| Subspecies | |
|
Six, see text | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
The wingspan is 22–28 mm. Adults are on wing from March to June in one generation per year.
The larvae feed on Sedum (including S. spathulifolium and S. lanceolatum), Sedella, Dudleya and Parvisedum species.
Subspecies
editListed alphabetically:[2]
- C. m. bayensis (Brown, 1939) – San Bruno elfin (California)
- C. m. doudoroffi dos Passos, 1940 (California)
- C. m. hidakupa Emmel, Emmel & Mattoon, 1998 (California)
- C. m. marinensis Emmel, Emmel & Mattoon, 1998 (California)
- C. m. mossii (Vancouver Island)
- C. m. schryveri (Cross, 1937) (Colorado)
- C. m. windi (Clench, 1943) (California)
References
edit- ^ Butterflies and Moths of North America
- ^ Incisalia at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms