Dwarf-mistletoe
Guides
Callophrys johnsoni
Johnson's Hairstreak
Callophrys johnsoni, commonly known as Johnson's Hairstreak, is a small butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It occurs in coniferous forests of western North America from British Columbia to central California. The species has a highly specialized larval diet, feeding exclusively on dwarf mistletoes (Arceuthobium species). Adults are active in late spring and early summer, with a single generation per year.
Callophrys spinetorum
Thicket Hairstreak
Callophrys spinetorum, the thicket hairstreak, is a small butterfly in the family Lycaenidae described by William Chapman Hewitson in 1867. It is distributed across western North America from British Columbia through the Rocky Mountains to New Mexico and Mexico, and through California to Baja California. The species is a specialist herbivore whose larvae feed exclusively on dwarf mistletoes in the genus Arceuthobium, exhibiting remarkable mimicry of their host plants.
Dasypyga alternosquamella
snout moth
A specialist snout moth (Pyralidae: Phycitinae) endemic to western North America. Described by Ragonot in 1887, this species has evolved a strict ecological dependency on dwarf mistletoes (Arceuthobium). Its larvae are obligate herbivores that mine mistletoe shoots, often killing the host plant. The species represents a notable case of host-specific herbivory with measurable ecological impacts on mistletoe populations.