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 145 - 168 of 209 verified sightings
Observation date: Nov 12, 1945
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (J. A. Comstock)
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Sep 06, 1932
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (C. M. Dammers)
Region: Riverside County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Oct 14, 1951
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Robert L. Langston)
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Oct 28, 1936
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (J. A. Comstock)
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: May 01, 1929
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (C. M. Dammers)
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Apr 04, 1925
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Van Dyke)
Region: Riverside County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Jun 06, 1952
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Jerry Powell)
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Jul 11, 1952
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Jerry Powell)
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Apr 04, 1955
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (C. M. Dammers)
Region: Riverside County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Mar 21, 1951
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Jerry Powell)
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Aug 04, 1955
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (J. W. Tilden)
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Aug 10, 1933
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (L. Hulbirt)
Region: Riverside County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Nov 12, 1945
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Melander)
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Oct 24, 1936
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (J. A. Comstock)
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Mar 17, 1940
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Rindge)
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Oct 10, 1939
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Rindge)
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Apr 14, 1951
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Robert L. Langston)
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Aug 27, 1952
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Mackie)
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Mar 11, 1933
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (C. M. Dammers)
Region: Riverside County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Sep 16, 1951
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Robert L. Langston)
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Sep 04, 1955
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Robert L. Langston)
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Oct 15, 1933
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (L. Hulbirt)
Region: Riverside County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Sep 05, 1951
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Sperrys)
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Aug 25, 1955
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Robert L. Langston)
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
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