Little Metalmark
Calephelis virginiensis (Guérin-Méneville, [1832])
Family: Riodinidae
Subfamily: Riodininae
Identification: The only metalmark of the southeast Atlantic coastal plain. Small. Upperside rusty orange, with fringes dark and not checkered. Underside brighter orange.
Wing Span: 1/2 - 1 inch (1.3 - 2.5 cm).
Life History: Males perch on low-growing plants to wait for females. Eggs are laid singly on host plant leaves. Caterpillars rest underneath leaves during the day, emerging at night and on cloudy days to feed.
Flight: Three to five broods from March-October.
Caterpillar Hosts: Yellow thistle (Cirsium horridulum).
Adult Food: Short-flowered composites including yarrow, lance-leaved coreopsis, fine-leaved sneezeweed, and blue mist flower.
Habitat: Grassy areas of the coastal plain and in open pine woods, savannah, and salt-marsh meadows.
Range: Atlantic coastal plain and piedmont from Maryland south to Florida and the Keys; west along the Gulf coast to southeast Texas.
Conservation: Colonies are localized but apparently conservation concern is minimal.
NCGR: G4 - Apparently secure globally, though it might be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Comments: NULL
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 241 verified sightings
Observation date: Sep 24, 2021
Submitted by: Tommie Rogers
Region: Glynn County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Oct 05, 2021
Observation date: Sep 27, 2019
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Osceola County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 29, 2021
Observation date: Oct 24, 2020
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Osceola County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 26, 2021
Observation date: Jul 05, 2021
Submitted by: baedwards
Region: McIntosh County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jul 08, 2021
Observation date: May 15, 2021
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Sarasota County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 20, 2021
Observation date: May 15, 2021
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Sarasota County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 20, 2021
Observation date: Jul 04, 2015
Submitted by: DVL
Region: Charlotte County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 31, 2021
Observation date: Apr 21, 2013
Submitted by: DVL
Region: Charlotte County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 31, 2021
Observation date: Jun 26, 2016
Submitted by: ShieldsM
Region: Onslow County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Dec 09, 2020
Observation date: Sep 03, 2017
Submitted by: ShieldsM
Region: Onslow County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Dec 07, 2020
Observation date: Oct 17, 2020
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Charlotte County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 18, 2020
Observation date: Oct 17, 2020
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Charlotte County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 18, 2020
Observation date: Sep 09, 2020
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: McIntosh County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Sep 17, 2020
Observation date: May 21, 2020
Submitted by: wallap74
Region: Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Sep 03, 2020
Observation date: Mar 13, 2020
Submitted by: Ron Smith
Region: Pinellas County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 29, 2020
Observation date: Jul 29, 2020
Submitted by: TomObrock
Region: Charlotte County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 29, 2020
Observation date: Jun 10, 2020
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Berkeley County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jun 15, 2020
Observation date: Apr 25, 2020
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Berkeley County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: May 02, 2020
Observation date: Mar 24, 2020
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: McIntosh County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Apr 24, 2020
Observation date: Jul 15, 2019
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jan 11, 2020
Observation date: Apr 25, 2014
Submitted by: XplorMor Intern...
Region: Hendry County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 21, 2019
Observation date: Oct 12, 2019
Submitted by: Rgilson
Region: Berkeley County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Oct 14, 2019
Observation date: Sep 07, 2019
Submitted by: robert.emond
Region: Liberty County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 14, 2019
Observation date: Aug 11, 2019
Submitted by: misspt
Region: Wayne County, Mississippi, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Aug 12, 2019
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