Observation date: August 11, 2023
Submitted by: dchartier
Specimen type: Photograph
Observation notes: Found on buckwheat
Status: Resident
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: September 03, 2023
Coordinator notes: Genetics suggests populations of what were considered Apodemia mormo in southern Colorado (subspecies pueblo) are actually mejicanus. One difference between mormo and mejicanus you can see is live eye color. A. mormo have quite striking bright green eyes while those of mejicanus have gray eye color. I think your photo demonstrates this individual to have gray eyes. A. mormo is in others parts of southern Colorado (San Luis Valley) where the two may hybridize (around Del Norte) and in western Colorado; also recorded from northern Larimer County. A. mejicanus occurs only south of Monument Divide in eastern Colorado. Your photo includes the host plant...Eriogonum jamesii...also the host of McDunnough's Blue [Dotted Blue] (Euphilotes centralis). Mike
