Mexican Metalmark
Apodemia mejicanus (Behr, 1865)
Family: Riodinidae
Subfamily: Riodininae
Identification: Upperside orange-brown to black, checkered with black and white spots. Forewing outer portion black with white spots and inner portion with yellow-orange to brick-red patch. Underside gray with white spots to red-orange or yellow-orange with black areas and white spots.
Wing Span: 7/8 - 1 5/16 inches (2.2 - 3.3 cm).
Life History: Males perch in hillside hollows or flats to watch for females. Eggs are laid in groups of 2-4 on lower leaves of host plant, or singly on other parts of plant. Caterpillars rest during the day in shelters of leaves tied together with silk, emerging at night to feed. Young caterpillars feed on leaves, older caterpillars eat leaves and stems. Young caterpillars hibernate inside plant parts such as the dilated stems of E. inflatum.
Flight: Mid- February to mid-November (2-3 flights).
Caterpillar Hosts: Various wild buckwheats (Eriogonum), including Inflated Buckwheat, Wright\'s Buckwheat, others, and possibly Kramerias.
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers of Eriogonum and other plants, especially yellow-flowered composites.
Habitat: Various arid lands including rocky hills and alluvial fans and flats, oak grassland.
Range: Southeastern California, southern Nevada, Arizona, and southwestern New Mexico south to Baja California and mainland Mexico.
Conservation: Sufficient populations, but some may be threatened by invasive alien weeds such as cheatgrass.
NCGR: Probably G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Taxonomy Notes: Subspecies mejicanus also referred to as the Sonoran Metalmark.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 169 - 192 of 201 verified sightings
Observation date: Sep 19, 1954
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (unknown)
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (William H. Howe)
Verified date: Dec 17, 2009
Observation date: Apr 29, 1993
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 08, 2009
Observation date: May 06, 1978
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Oct 21, 2009
Observation date: May 13, 1980
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Oct 21, 2009
Observation date: Mar 09, 1984
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Oct 21, 2009
Observation date: Mar 11, 1933
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (C. Dammers)
Region: Riverside County, California, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Emmel & Emmel)
Verified date: Oct 21, 2009
Observation date: Sep 18, 1978
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Oct 21, 2009
Observation date: May 26, 1978
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Oct 21, 2009
Observation date: Sep 23, 2003
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Oct 21, 2009
Observation date: Apr 29, 1993
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Oct 21, 2009
Observation date: Oct 13, 2005
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Oct 21, 2009
Observation date: Aug 21, 1979
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Oct 21, 2009
Observation date: Oct 24, 1936
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (J. A. Comstock)
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Emmel & Emmel)
Verified date: Oct 21, 2009
Observation date: Aug 29, 1978
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Oct 21, 2009
Observation date: Aug 24, 2009
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Inyo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Sep 18, 2009
Observation date: Apr 11, 2009
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Inyo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Apr 21, 2009
Observation date: Jan 21, 1999
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Alex Grkovich)
Region: Mohave County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (The Lepidopterists' Society Season Summary)
Verified date: Mar 12, 2009
Observation date: Oct 19, 2005
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Bob Barber)
Region: Yuma County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (The Lepidopterists' Society Season Summary)
Verified date: Mar 12, 2009
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Gordon Pratt & Greg Ballmer)
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Gordon Pratt & Greg Ballmer)
Verified date: Feb 25, 2008
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Richard Holland)
Region: El Paso County, Texas, United States
Verified by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Verified date: Jan 08, 2008
Observation date: Mar 28, 2003
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Inyo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 07, 2008
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Sonora, Mexico
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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