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 49 - 72 of 599 verified sightings
Observation date: Sep 27, 2020
Submitted by: Chris Carvalho
Region: Wasco County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 29, 2020
Observation date: Sep 12, 2020
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Plumas County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 20, 2020
Observation date: Aug 21, 2020
Submitted by: hydapse
Region: Carbon County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Aug 24, 2020
Observation date: Aug 20, 2019
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jan 31, 2020
Observation date: Oct 19, 2019
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 24, 2019
Observation date: Oct 14, 2019
Submitted by: XplorMor Intern...
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 22, 2019
Observation date: Oct 20, 2019
Submitted by: Linda Gettier
Region: Mohave County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 21, 2019
Observation date: Oct 06, 2019
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 06, 2019
Observation date: Aug 31, 2019
Submitted by: Joey Bom
Region: Coconino County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 03, 2019
Observation date: Jul 24, 2019
Submitted by: Christian.Nunes
Region: Las Animas County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Sep 23, 2019
Observation date: Sep 05, 2019
Submitted by: SactoSkipper
Region: Contra Costa County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 06, 2019
Observation date: Sep 02, 2019
Submitted by: Dawnvla
Region: Teton County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Sep 03, 2019
Observation date: Aug 26, 2019
Submitted by: Jdammarell
Region: Lincoln County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Aug 28, 2019
Observation date: Aug 26, 2019
Submitted by: Jdammarell
Region: Lincoln County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Aug 28, 2019
Observation date: Aug 20, 2019
Submitted by: Jdammarell
Region: Lincoln County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Aug 28, 2019
Observation date: Aug 25, 2019
Submitted by: flatus
Region: Klickitat County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Aug 27, 2019
Observation date: Aug 08, 2019
Submitted by: Nancy Asquith
Region: Santa Clara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 09, 2019
Observation date: Jul 28, 2018
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Mar 03, 2019
Observation date: Sep 23, 2018
Submitted by: Annava
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Nov 06, 2018
Observation date: Sep 28, 2018
Submitted by: hiker96
Region: Coconino County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 11, 2018
Observation date: Sep 09, 2018
Submitted by: Chris Carvalho
Region: Klickitat County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Sep 12, 2018
Observation date: Aug 30, 2018
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Inyo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 01, 2018
Observation date: Sep 15, 2017
Submitted by: Nancy Asquith
Region: Stanislaus County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 20, 2017
Observation date: Sep 01, 2017
Submitted by: satchmo0802
Region: Crook County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Sep 13, 2017
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