How to Identify Elfin Butterflies

Elfin butterflies are members a group of several butterfly species in the Lycaenidae, or gossamer-winged, family of butterflies. The most common elfin butterfly is the brown elfin. Follow these steps to identify if the butterfly you are looking at is an elfin butterfly.

Instructions

    • 1

      Identify the butterfly as a member of the Lycaenidae family. Members of this family are also known as gossamer-winged butterflies because they have delicate wings that shimmer in the light. Other characteristics include a wingspan of less than two inches and males with smaller forelegs than the females.

    • 2

      Check the butterfly's appearance against the typical features of a butterfly in the Theclinae, or hairstreak, subfamily. The North American members of this family are usually brown in color with some trace of iridescent blue on the underside of the wings.

    • 3

      Determine whether the butterfly is a hairstreak or an elfin. These are two major groups within the subfamily Theclinae. The primary difference is that hairstreaks usually have tails.

    • 4

      Classify the type of elfin butterfly you see. There are at least nine different species of elfin butterfly. The Butterflies and Moths of North America website has detailed information about each species. If you take observation notes or photographs of the butterfly specimens that you encounter, you should be able to identify the exact species using their resource.