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Santa Barbara Field Guides - Butterflies Lepidoptera Riodinidae Apodemia mormo Mormon Metalmark |
Size:
Wingspread 0.75- 1 in. Recognition: Dark with white spots; bronze-red coloring in FW and a little in HW; black/white striped antennae which are often held parallel; green eyes; underside brown and gray, with rusty orange at base of FW. Flight period: Adults are active from early summer to fall. Hostplants: The larvae feed on buckwheats (Eriogonum), particularly E. fasciculatum. Habitat: The Mormon Metalmark is found in a variety of habitats, particularly disturbed open areas, including beach and dune areas, chaparral, ridgetops, and along dry streams. Distribution: The Mormon Metalmark ranges throughout the western U.S. and northwestern Mexico. Other: The Mormon Metalmark is extremely variable across its range, and probably represents a complex of several species. One form, called Lange's Metalmark, occurring in the Antioch Dunes in the San Francisco Bay area, is listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. |