Eastern Pine Elfin(Callophrys niphon)

From Bugwoodwiki

Eastern Pine Elfin Photo by Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Archive, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, Bugwood.org Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Hexapoda (including Insecta) Order: Lepidoptera Family: Lycaenidae Genus: Incisalia Species: niphon Scientific Name Incisalia niphon (Hübner)

Contents 1 Description 2 Food 3 Life Cycle 4 Comments 5 References

Description

Slug-like, densely hairy, dark green body with head usually retracted into thorax and with prominent, pale stripes. Relatively indistinct, greenish white middorsal and spiracular stripes; yellow and white subdorsal and subventral stripes. Up to 15 mm.

Food

Eastern white, jack, pitch, red, and other (hard) pines.

Life Cycle

One generation. Pupa overwinters in soil or debris. Mature caterpillar present from May to July.

Comments

This caterpillar is very well camouflaged on the needles of pines. The similar western pine elfin, Callophrys eryphon, which eats pines, and the bog elfin, C. lanoraieensis, which eats black spruce, also are found in the upper Northeast (mainly in New Hampshire and Maine). The eastern pine elfin formerly was known as Incisalia niphon.

References

Maier, C.T., C.R. Lemmon, J.M. Fengler, D.F. Schweitzer, and R.C. Reardon. 2004. Caterpillars on the Foliage of Conifers in the Northeastern United States. FHTET-2004-1. Morgantown, WV: USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team; 151 p.