Critically Imperiled Elfins Disappearing from the Forest
Article and Photos by Bill Berthet Ixia Chapter Frosted Elfin Panhandle area Heart pounding, intoxicated with adrenaline, kneeling in a field of swaying 2-3 foot high wiregrass ( Aristida stricta ) I was trying to follow the fast, low erratic flight of a small brown butterfly. As it finally landed several feet off the ground on a curved section of wiregrass I was able to observe, photograph, and ID this butterfly as the frosted elfin ( Callophrys irus Godart, 1824) Florida ssp. arsace (Boisduval & LeConte 1835) FNAI S1 (critically imperiled). I looked up into the clear blue sky with a fist pump yelling “YES!,Thank you mother nature for this moment!”. Dusky Roadside-Skipper nectaring on shiny blueberry ( Vaccinum myrsinites ) Treasure hunting comes in many forms. A minute later I spotted two tiny dark butterflies whirling and darting around several feet off the ground fi...