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 73 - 96 of 599 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 13, 2017
Submitted by: reginacohn
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 16, 2017
Observation date: Sep 01, 2016
Submitted by: DCLinck
Region: Salt Lake County, Utah, United States
Verified by: RaisingButterfl...
Verified date: Apr 22, 2017
Observation date: Sep 14, 2016
Submitted by: Sue Orlowski
Region: Lincoln County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Sep 27, 2016
Observation date: Sep 04, 2016
Submitted by: Thomas Road
Region: Kittitas County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Sep 10, 2016
Observation date: Sep 01, 2013
Submitted by: diwalks2@gmail.com
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 09, 2016
Observation date: Aug 29, 2013
Submitted by: Josiah Gilbert
Region: San Luis Obispo County, California, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jan 25, 2016
Observation date: Oct 02, 2014
Submitted by: Josiah Gilbert
Region: San Luis Obispo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Dec 30, 2015
Observation date: Sep 12, 2013
Submitted by: Josiah Gilbert
Region: San Luis Obispo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Dec 30, 2015
Observation date: Aug 29, 2013
Submitted by: Josiah Gilbert
Region: San Luis Obispo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Dec 30, 2015
Observation date: Oct 02, 2015
Submitted by: Josiah Gilbert
Region: San Luis Obispo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Dec 30, 2015
Observation date: Sep 12, 2013
Submitted by: Josiah Gilbert
Region: San Luis Obispo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Dec 30, 2015
Observation date: Oct 01, 2015
Submitted by: Josiah Gilbert
Region: San Luis Obispo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Dec 30, 2015
Observation date: Sep 03, 2015
Submitted by: Josiah Gilbert
Region: San Luis Obispo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Dec 30, 2015
Observation date: Sep 17, 2014
Submitted by: icosahedron
Region: Monterey County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 14, 2015
Observation date: Oct 04, 2015
Submitted by: Chris Carvalho
Region: Klickitat County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Oct 08, 2015
Observation date: Sep 18, 2015
Submitted by: Chris Carvalho
Region: Wasco County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 19, 2015
Observation date: Aug 15, 2015
Submitted by: Sue Orlowski
Region: Lincoln County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Aug 20, 2015
Observation date: Aug 18, 2015
Submitted by: plex1ppus
Region: Spokane County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Aug 20, 2015
Observation date: Aug 15, 2015
Submitted by: Sue Orlowski
Region: Lincoln County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Aug 20, 2015
Observation date: Sep 10, 2011
Submitted by: djparisi
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 01, 2015
Observation date: Aug 23, 2014
Submitted by: plex1ppus
Region: Lincoln County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Aug 27, 2014
Observation date: Aug 09, 2014
Submitted by: Sue Orlowski
Region: Lincoln County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Aug 16, 2014
Observation date: Aug 01, 2013
Submitted by: mbehringer
Region: Monterey County, California, United States
Verified by: Robert Martin
Verified date: Feb 11, 2014
Observation date: Sep 19, 2013
Submitted by: Chris Carvalho
Region: Wasco County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 09, 2013
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