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.
Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 185 verified sightings
Observation date: Nov 02, 2021
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: Baja California Sur, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 01, 2023
Observation date: May 07, 2022
Submitted by: Marta Reece
Region: Luna County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jan 16, 2023
Observation date: Sep 13, 2019
Submitted by: Rob Wu
Region: New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jan 16, 2023
Observation date: Apr 22, 2019
Submitted by: Rob Wu
Region: New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jan 16, 2023
Observation date: Nov 11, 2021
Submitted by: PGregory
Region: Sonora, Mexico
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 02, 2022
Observation date: Jul 16, 2022
Submitted by: twofried
Region: Taos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 19, 2022
Observation date: Jun 29, 2022
Submitted by: twofried
Region: Taos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 17, 2022
Observation date: Apr 25, 1990
Submitted by: papilio1
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Jul 12, 2022
Observation date: Apr 17, 2022
Submitted by: Joshua C
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Apr 18, 2022
Observation date: Apr 14, 2022
Submitted by: jamesvonloh
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Apr 16, 2022
Observation date: Apr 14, 2022
Submitted by: jamesvonloh
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Apr 16, 2022
Observation date: Sep 06, 1988
Submitted by: stevecary
Region:
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Apr 06, 2022
Observation date: Sep 08, 2019
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Torrance County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Apr 06, 2022
Observation date: Aug 17, 1997
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Union County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 10, 2022
Observation date: Aug 01, 2017
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 09, 2022
Observation date: Jul 28, 1988
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 09, 2022
Observation date: Jul 25, 2005
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Otero County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 09, 2022
Observation date: Jul 26, 2016
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Lincoln County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 09, 2022
Observation date: Jul 13, 2017
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Lincoln County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 09, 2022
Observation date: Aug 28, 2011
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Taos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 09, 2022
Observation date: Aug 27, 2011
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Taos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 09, 2022
Observation date: Aug 12, 1984
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Taos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 09, 2022
Observation date: Aug 12, 1989
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Taos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 09, 2022
Observation date: Apr 24, 1988
Submitted by: stevecary
Region:
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jan 12, 2022
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