Callophrys polios
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Callophrys polios, the hoary elfin, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is listed as a species of special concern and believed extirpated in the US state of Connecticut. The wingspan is 22–29 mm. Adults are on wing from April to June in one generation.
The larvae feed on Arctostaphylos uva-ursi and possibly Epigaea repens. The adults feed on flower nectar from various species, including leatherleaf, pyxie, wild strawberry and willow. Hibernation takes place as a chrysalid. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Isle Royale National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Rocky Mountain National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Calgary | 🇨🇦 Canada |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Hoary Elfin sighting in Calgary on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 203rd most-seen of the 256 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Hoary Elfin in Calgary on a given day, against under 5% in June to April, the lowest months. That is one of Calgary's wettest months, with about 75 mm of rain against 15 mm in January.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Hoary Elfin sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Only Calgary, in our data
Calgary is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Hoary Elfin sightings: under 5% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same family: Lycaenidae
The closest relatives of the Hoary Elfin that you can see in Calgary (family Lycaenidae, Gossamer-winged Butterflies) are Silvery Blue (about 10%), Elkalyce amyntula (about 10%) and Melissa Blue (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Hoary Elfin is recorded against all the insects logged in Calgary (8 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
