Frosted Elfin

The Frosted Elfin is a butterfly that is native to North America.  The Frosted Elfin is a species of the Lycaenidae.

What Does the Frosted Elfin Look Like?

The Frosted Elfin is a small butterfly that has a wingspan of less than an inch.  The Frosted Elfin is brown and has dark spots that are in the shape of an oval and are found above the tail and on the front wings.

When is the Frosted Elfin the Most Active?

The Frosted Elfin is most active between March and April in the southern states and between May and June in the northern states.

Behavior of the Frosted Elfin

The Frosted Elfin females lay eggs in rows on flower buds.

The caterpillar of the Frosted Elfin eat the flower and the seedpods when they hatch.  They also will form a cocoon under the plant and hibernate until they turn into a butterfly.

Where Does the Frosted Elfin Live?

The Frosted Elfin lives in North America in places such as Maine, New York, Michigan, Wisconsin, Louisiana and Texas and in places like Ontario.

The Frosted Elfin likes to live in areas that are open woods and in scrublands.

What Does the Frosted Elfin Eat?

The Frosted Elfin caterpillar eats leaves from the plants in the area.  The adult butterfly drinks nectar from flowers in the area including rattlebox, lupine, blue false indigo and from the pea family.

More Facts About the Frosted Elfin:

• The Frosted Elfin was not seen in Virginia since 1994 until 2011 when a population of the butterflies were found.
• The Frosted Elfin is considered threatened in Connecticut.
• There have only been around 100 different Frosted Elfin’s found in Texas.
• Many of the Frosted Elfin’s have lost their homes due to construction and building of roads.
• Many of the Frosted Elfin’s are considered threatened due to their lack of population in different areas.
• The name Frosted Elfin comes from the tip of the butterfly’s wings that have a frosted look.
• The Frosted Elfin has a tiny tail that is considered stubby.
• One interesting thing about the Frosted Elfin is that it does not fly well and has a strong dependence on flowers that are close to the ground.

What Did You Learn?

What is the Frosted Elfin?
The Frosted Elfin is a butterfly that is found in North America and Canada.

Why does the Frosted Elfin have the name Frosted Elfin?
The Frosted Elfin has the name frosted because of the tips of the wings look frosted.

Where does the Frosted Elfin live?
The Elfin has a habitat of open woods and shrublands.

Is the Frosted Elfin a good flyer?
No.  The Frosted Elfin is not a good flyer and depends on flowers close to the ground to have food.

Is the Frosted Elfin endangered?  
The Frosted Elfin is not endangered but is considered to be lacking in population in many of the states that it is found in.

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