Moss' Elfin
Callophrys mossii (Hy. Edwards, 1881)
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Theclinae
Identification: Upperside of male grayish brown with a tan patch on hindwing inner margin; female light brown to tan with dark borders. Underside coppery brown to purplish brown; inner half of hindwing darker than light outer half.
Wing Span: 7/8 - 1 1/8 inches (2.2 - 2.8 cm).
Life History: In California, males perch on shrubs or at tops of cliffs to watch for females; in Colorado they perch in gulches. Eggs are laid singly on the underside of host plant leaves. Young caterpillars feed on leaves; older ones on flowers and fruits. Chrysalids hibernate.
Flight: One flight from March-June.
Caterpillar Hosts: Stonecrop (Sedum, Sedella, Dudleya, and Parvisedum) species in the Crassulaceae family.
Adult Food: Not reported.
Habitat: Rocky outcrops, woody canyons, cliffs.
Range: Patchy, isolated populations from British Columbia south to southern California, east to Wyoming and Colorado.
Conservation: The San Bruno Elfin (Callophrys mossii bayensis) is listed as Endangered by the U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service. This subspecies is limited to the San Bruno Mountains in San Mateo County, California and a few nearby sites. The San Bruno Elfin has The Nature Conservancy Rank of T1 - Critically imperiled because of extreme rarity (5 or fewer occurrences, or very few remaining individuals), or because of some factor of its biology making it especially vulnerable to extinction. (Critically endangered throughout its range).
NCGR:
Management Needs: Protect habitat of the San Bruno Elfin and other limited populations from development and encroachment by non-native plants.
Comments: NULL
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 121 - 144 of 258 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 08, 1967
Submitted by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Region: Sierra County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: Apr 30, 1967
Submitted by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Region: Marin County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: May 15, 1966
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Robert L. Langston)
Region: Monterey County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: Jun 29, 1963
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Keith S. Brown, Jr.)
Region: Monterey County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Mar 15, 1970
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (J. Emmel & C. Ferris)
Region: San Mateo County, California, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (John F. Emmel)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Mar 21, 1969
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (John F. Emmel)
Region: San Mateo County, California, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (John F. Emmel)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Jun 21, 1961
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (J. W. Tilden)
Region: Tehama County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Jun 23, 1999
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Jeffrey Glassberg)
Region: Humboldt County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Apr 11, 1962
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (C. D. MacNeill)
Region: San Mateo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Mar 23, 1962
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (C. D. MacNeill)
Region: San Mateo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Mar 13, 1963
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (C. D. MacNeill)
Region: San Mateo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Mar 30, 1962
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (C. D. MacNeill)
Region: San Mateo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Apr 11, 1962
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (U. Kinet)
Region: San Mateo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Mar 19, 1963
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (C. D. MacNeill)
Region: San Mateo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Apr 04, 1962
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (C. D. MacNeill)
Region: San Mateo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: May 26, 1954
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (unknown)
Region: Monterey County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 17, 2009
Observation date: May 26, 1957
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (J. W. Tilden)
Region: Monterey County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Oct 15, 2009
Observation date: Apr 16, 1961
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (J. W. Tilden)
Region: Mariposa County, California, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Garth & Tilden)
Verified date: Oct 13, 2009
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Oakley Shields)
Region: Mariposa County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Oct 13, 2009
Observation date: Apr 07, 1984
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: San Luis Obispo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Sep 24, 2009
Observation date: Apr 09, 1987
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: San Luis Obispo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Sep 24, 2009
Observation date: May 28, 1988
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Jim Brock)
Region: Tulare County, California, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Jim Brock)
Verified date: Sep 24, 2009
Observation date: Apr 06, 1993
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: San Luis Obispo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Sep 24, 2009
Observation date: May 24, 2009
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Steven Poole)
Region: Park County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Verified date: Jun 09, 2009
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