The Eastern Pine Elfin (Callophrys niphon) is a species of Lycaenidae

Lycaenidae

The Lycaenidae are the second-largest family of butterflies, with about 6000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies...

 that is native to North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

.

Description

Similar to the Western Pine Elfin

Western Pine Elfin

The Western Pine Elfin is a North American butterfly that ranges from British Columbia east to Maine and south to southern California, Arizona, and New Mexico. Males are brown and females are orange-brown, with both having bold patterned hind wings. The top of the wings have dark bars with a...

 but has two dark bars instead of one in the forewing underside cell with strong patterning on the underside.
The wingspan ranges from 22–27 mm (0.866141732283465–1.1 in).

Life history

There is one flight from March–April in the south which occurs between mid May to early June in the north. Females will lay eggs singly on flower buds. The caterpillars eat both the flower and the developing seedpods. Chrysalids hibernate in loosely formed cocoons beneath litter below the plant. Larval foods include Jack Pine (Pinus banksiana) and White Pine (Pinus strobus).

Range

They range in most of eastern United States and across the southern parts of the provinces of Canada. Within this range they tend to stick sandy areas with pine trees.