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Santa Barbara Field Guides - Butterflies Lepidoptera Lycaenidae Lycaena gorgon Gorgon Copper |
Size:
wingspread 1.25-1.6 in. Recognition: Male is brown with black at base of white FW and HW fringes; female is brown with yellow patches in FW and yellow-orange markings on bottom of HW; undersides with row of orange spots along edge of HW. Flight period: Adults are active from late spring to mid-summer. Hostplants: The larvae eat buckwheats (Eriogonum - Polygonaceae). Habitat: They are found in scrubby foothill mountain areas, and chaparral canyons. Distribution: Gorgon Coppers occur from southern Oregon south to Baja California, principally at low to mid-elevations in California. |