Mexican Metalmark
Apodemia mejicanus (Behr, 1865)
Family: Riodinidae
Subfamily: Riodininae
Identification: Upperside orange-brown to black, checkered with black and white spots. Forewing outer portion black with white spots and inner portion with yellow-orange to brick-red patch. Underside gray with white spots to red-orange or yellow-orange with black areas and white spots.
Wing Span: 7/8 - 1 5/16 inches (2.2 - 3.3 cm).
Life History: Males perch in hillside hollows or flats 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. Young caterpillars hibernate inside plant parts such as the dilated stems of E. inflatum.
Flight: Mid- February to mid-November (2-3 flights).
Caterpillar Hosts: Various wild buckwheats (Eriogonum), including Inflated Buckwheat, Wright\'s Buckwheat, others, and possibly Kramerias.
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers of Eriogonum and other plants, especially yellow-flowered composites.
Habitat: Various arid lands including rocky hills and alluvial fans and flats, oak grassland.
Range: Southeastern California, southern Nevada, Arizona, and southwestern New Mexico south to Baja California and mainland Mexico.
Conservation: Sufficient populations, but some may be threatened by invasive alien weeds such as cheatgrass.
NCGR: Probably G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Taxonomy Notes: Subspecies mejicanus also referred to as the Sonoran Metalmark.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 121 - 144 of 201 verified sightings
Observation date: Sep 01, 1968
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Keith Hughes)
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2011
Observation date: Oct 04, 1978
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2011
Observation date: Apr 17, 1967
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (David Bauer)
Region: Nye County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2011
Observation date: Sep 03, 1952
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (unknown)
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2011
Observation date: Jun 17, 1970
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Mohave County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2011
Observation date: Oct 12, 1969
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Rubbert & Thorne)
Region: Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2011
Observation date: Aug 06, 1994
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2011
Observation date: Mar 20, 2010
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Kim Davis & Mike Stangeland)
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 31, 2010
Observation date: Oct 03, 1976
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Jim Brock)
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 31, 2010
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: BAMONA (Laura Stockton)
Region: Mexico
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Sep 06, 2010
Observation date: Sep 25, 1971
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Fred T. Thorne)
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: Apr 04, 1969
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (D. Willis)
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: Apr 06, 1969
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (D. Willis)
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: Apr 28, 1940
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Rindge)
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Apr 08, 1939
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Rindge)
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Aug 25, 1955
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Robert L. Langston)
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Nov 12, 1945
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (J. A. Comstock)
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Sep 06, 1932
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (C. M. Dammers)
Region: Riverside County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Oct 14, 1951
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Robert L. Langston)
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Oct 28, 1936
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (J. A. Comstock)
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: May 01, 1929
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (C. M. Dammers)
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Apr 04, 1925
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Van Dyke)
Region: Riverside County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Jun 06, 1952
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Jerry Powell)
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Jul 11, 1952
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Jerry Powell)
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
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