Shawnee State Forest-Henry's Elfin

This past weekend I went butterfly watching with my friend Jim Davidson and a few others from the Ohio Lepidopterist Society Butterfly Observers Group. What fun! A gorgeous day and great company is always welcome.

We were in search of a small butterfly called Henry's Elfin. In Ohio, Henry's Elfin caterpillar feeds on the host plant Redbud, Cercis canadensis. The adults also like to nectar from it, as well. We walked along a horse trail off of Forest Road 5 and found 50-60 of these little wonders. It was amazing!

Redbud blossoms

I took quite a few pics of the minute beauties. They are masters of camouflage. See if you can spot the Henry's Elfin in the pic below.

Can you see it? I know where it is at, and I still lose track!

Camouflaged to look like a dead leaf, here is a closer look.

Still can't find it? How about now...?

Perched on the light colored stick in the middle of the pic. Perfectly camouflaged.

Here is another Henry's Elfin, also camouflaged, sitting on the rocks along the road. If you don't keep your eye on them when they fly, they virtually disappear.

Nature never ceases to amaze!