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 25 - 48 of 187 verified sightings
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
Observation date: Oct 07, 2000
Submitted by: stevecary (Steve Cary submitting on behalf of Dale & Marian Zimmerman)
Region:
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jan 12, 2022
Observation date: May 23, 1992
Submitted by: stevecary
Region:
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jan 12, 2022
Observation date: Sep 03, 1983
Submitted by: stevecary
Region:
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jan 12, 2022
Observation date: May 21, 2017
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Catron County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jan 09, 2022
Observation date: May 03, 1992
Submitted by: stevecary
Region:
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jan 09, 2022
Observation date: May 11, 2016
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Sierra County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jan 09, 2022
Observation date: Apr 04, 2016
Submitted by: stevecary
Region:
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jan 09, 2022
Observation date: Aug 13, 1988
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Sierra County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jan 09, 2022
Observation date: May 31, 2021
Submitted by: jamesvonloh
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 28, 2021
Observation date: Sep 12, 2021
Submitted by: Gordon Berman
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 28, 2021
Observation date: Sep 10, 2021
Submitted by: jamesvonloh
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 26, 2021
Observation date: Sep 10, 2021
Submitted by: jamesvonloh
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 26, 2021
Observation date: Aug 18, 2021
Submitted by: jamesvonloh
Region: New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 26, 2021
Observation date: Sep 14, 2013
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 26, 2021
Observation date: Aug 05, 1988
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 26, 2021
Observation date: Jun 06, 1982
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 26, 2021
Observation date: Sep 22, 2008
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 26, 2021
Observation date: Jun 04, 2012
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 26, 2021
Observation date: Sep 10, 2021
Submitted by: JudyLY
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 15, 2021
Observation date: Aug 26, 2021
Submitted by: Aner
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 09, 2021
Observation date: May 06, 2020
Submitted by: Rob Wu
Region: New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 09, 2021
Observation date: Apr 22, 2019
Submitted by: Rob Wu
Region: Socorro County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 09, 2021
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