Bug FAQHenry's Elfin
Incisalia henrici · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Lycaenidae
Henry's elfin is a small North American butterfly with a wingspan of about 20-25 mm (0.8-1 in). It lives in many habitats from barrens and coastal holly forests to open and mesquite woodlands across Canada and the United States. Adults fly from early March to early June, depending on latitude, and the caterpillars feed on hollies in the east and on redbud in the north and Appalachians.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The upper wing surface is dark brown, while the underside is two-toned with a dark basal area and a white-tipped postmedian line on the hindwing. The hindwing edge is frosted, the forewing edge may have a green tint, and the hindwing bears short, stubby tails.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan ranges from 20 to 25 mm (0.79 to 0.98 in).
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Eastern populations use various hollies (Ilex) as host plants.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The species has one brood per year. The pupa overwinters in leaf litter.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults may be seen from early May to early June in northern areas and from March to April in southern areas.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is a North American species native to the United States and Canada. In Canada its range extends from southern Manitoba to southern Nova Scotia.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Similar species include the frosted elfin, brown elfin, and hoary elfin.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 37 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Virginia, Ohio, Maryland, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Florida, Missouri.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
Questions people ask
When can I see Henry's elfin?
In the north they appear from early May to early June, while in the south they are on the wing from March to April.
Source: Wikipedia
What plants do the caterpillars feed on?
Eastern caterpillars feed on hollies (Ilex) and those in the north and Appalachians feed on redbud (Cercis canadensis).
Source: Wikipedia
What does the butterfly look like?
It has dark brown upper wings, a two-toned underside with a dark base, a white-tipped postmedian line on the hindwing, frosted wing edges, sometimes a green-tinged forewing edge, and short stubby tails on the hindwing.
Source: Wikipedia
Where does Henry's elfin live?
It inhabits a variety of habitats across Canada and the United States, from barrens and coastal holly forests to open and mesquite woodlands.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Lycaenidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Callophrys_henrici
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.