HENRY'S ELFIN & Eastern Pine Elfin
There are a couple of other Elfin species in Ohio, although the only one you are likely to see in the Dayton area is Henry's Elfin. The butterfly at left is an Eastern Pine Elfin, photographed at Hocking Hills on May 14, 2023. This species is not known to occur in southwestern Ohio. It prefers pine forests in the eastern part of the state.
This Henry's Elfin butterfly was rubbing his hindwings together, giving us a peek at the orange dorsal surface. Henry's Elfins almost never rest with their wings open.
Henry's Elfins can often be found sipping moisture from damp ground on sunny forest trails.
Notice the prominent white dash on the hindwing. That white mark and the tails make good field marks for this species.
Henry's Elfins fly for only a few weeks in early spring, when their redbud trees are in bloom. Their flight period usually occurs in April (or sometimes early May, if the weather was cold in April).
Henry's Elfin. In our area, these butterflies use redbud trees as host plants. (Other plants are used in different geographic regions.) Look for Henry's Elfins near established groves of redbud trees. Twin Creek MetroPark, Germantown MetroPark, and Cox Arboretum are three good locations to find these tiny butterflies.