Mormon Metalmark
Apodemia mormo (C. Felder & R. Felder, 1859)
Family: Riodinidae
Subfamily: Riodininae
Identification: Upperside orange-brown to black, checkered with black and white spots. Tan to brick-red patch on forewing. Underside gray with white spots; forewing with brick-red patch.
Wing Span: 7/8 - 1 1/4 inches (2.2 - 3.3 cm).
Life History: Males perch in hillside hollows 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.
Flight: July-September in the north, March-October in the south.
Caterpillar Hosts: Various wild buckwheats (Eriogonum).
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers of Eriogonum and other plants, especially yellow-flowered composites such as Senecio and rabbitbrush..
Habitat: Various arid lands
Range: North Dakota (few) west to Washington, south through to southern California, Arizona, New Mexico.
Conservation: Subspecies langei, which occurs in the Antioch Dunes of California, is endangered due to loss of habitat and host plants (Eriogonum nudum var. auriculatum). Subspecies langei has The Nature Conservancy rank of T1 - critically imperiled because of extreme rarity (5 or fewer occurrences, or very few remaining individuals), or because of some factor of its biology making it especially vulnerable to extinction. (Critically endangered throughout its range).
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: Habitat restoration, cultivation of the host plant, and captive breeding of the butterfly may be necessary. For langei control of invasive weedy alien plants by means other than fire is an imperative. Comment: Behr's Metalmark, Mexican Metalmark, and Southwestern Metalmark were previously considered to belong to this species.
Comments: NULL
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 591 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 04, 2020
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: Contra Costa County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Feb 15, 2023
Observation date: Nov 13, 2022
Submitted by: hgbyrne
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Nov 14, 2022
Observation date: Aug 29, 2022
Submitted by: mashoop58
Region: Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 19, 2022
Observation date: Sep 22, 2022
Submitted by: ksharum
Region: Santa Barbara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 24, 2022
Observation date: Sep 07, 2022
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Kittitas County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Sep 10, 2022
Observation date: Sep 09, 1984
Submitted by: James Steen
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 17, 2022
Observation date: Sep 09, 1984
Submitted by: James Steen
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 16, 2022
Observation date: May 04, 2022
Submitted by: bellinca
Region: Okanogan County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 05, 2022
Observation date: Aug 20, 2019
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 24, 2022
Observation date: Aug 20, 2019
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 09, 2022
Observation date: Aug 14, 2020
Submitted by: stevecary
Region:
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 09, 2022
Observation date: Aug 14, 2020
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: McKinley County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 09, 2022
Observation date: Aug 14, 2020
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: McKinley County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 09, 2022
Observation date: Sep 07, 2016
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: San Juan County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 09, 2022
Observation date: Aug 30, 2020
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 09, 2022
Observation date: Aug 27, 2000
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 09, 2022
Observation date: Aug 18, 2000
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 09, 2022
Observation date: Aug 19, 2000
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: McKinley County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 09, 2022
Observation date: Sep 06, 2016
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: McKinley County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 08, 2022
Observation date: Sep 05, 2015
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Taos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 08, 2022
Observation date: Aug 21, 2016
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Taos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 08, 2022
Observation date: Aug 18, 2017
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Taos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 08, 2022
Observation date: Aug 27, 2020
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 08, 2022
Observation date: Aug 14, 2021
Submitted by: icosahedron
Region: Contra Costa County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Feb 23, 2022
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