Gorgon Copper
Lycaena gorgon (Boisduval, 1852)
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Lycaeninae
Identification: Upperside of male coppery brown with bright reddish purple tinge; female dark brown with cream and black spots. Upperside of female hindwing with row of orange crescents next to row of small back spots. Underside of both sexes gray with black spots; hindwing with submarginal row of red-orange spots.
Wing Span: 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 inches (3.2 - 3.8 cm).
Life History: Males perch and patrol for females near host plants. Eggs are laid singly on host flower stalks and hatch the next spring. Caterpillars eat leaves.
Flight: One flight from May-June.
Caterpillar Hosts: Plants in the buckwheat family (Polygonaceae) including Eriogonum species.
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Sage scrub, chaparral, foothill woodland, rocky hills and outcrops.
Range: Southern Oregon through California to Baja California.
Conservation: Not usually required. Some colonies lost to development and others degraded from effects of exotic grasses and other weeds.
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 73 - 96 of 224 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 15, 1980
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (A. M. Shapiro)
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Aug 02, 2010
Observation date: Jul 05, 1985
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Inyo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Apr 02, 2010
Observation date: Jun 09, 1981
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (R. Skalski)
Region: San Luis Obispo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Mar 09, 2010
Observation date: Jul 15, 1983
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (A. M. Shapiro)
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Mar 09, 2010
Observation date: Jun 22, 1986
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (A. M. Shapiro)
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Mar 09, 2010
Observation date: Jul 12, 1988
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (A. M. Shapiro)
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Mar 09, 2010
Observation date: Jul 21, 1985
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (S. K. Dvorak)
Region: Modoc County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Mar 09, 2010
Observation date: Jul 31, 1923
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (unknown)
Region: Modoc County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Mar 09, 2010
Observation date: Jul 15, 1985
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Sterlin Mattoon)
Region: Modoc County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Mar 09, 2010
Observation date: Jul 07, 1970
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (S. K Dvorak, O. Shields)
Region: Modoc County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Mar 09, 2010
Observation date: Jul 19, 1986
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (G. & A. Austin)
Region: Modoc County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Mar 09, 2010
Observation date: Jul 15, 1968
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (John F. Emmel)
Region: Modoc County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Mar 09, 2010
Observation date: Jul 15, 1968
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (J. Emmel, O. Shields)
Region: Modoc County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Mar 09, 2010
Observation date: Jul 19, 1986
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (G. & A. Austin)
Region: Modoc County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Mar 09, 2010
Observation date: Jun 22, 1986
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (A. M. Shapiro)
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 25, 2010
Observation date: Jul 12, 1988
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (A. M. Shapiro)
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 25, 2010
Observation date: Jul 15, 1983
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (A. M. Shapiro)
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 25, 2010
Observation date: Jul 31, 1923
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (unknown)
Region: Modoc County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 25, 2010
Observation date: Jul 15, 1985
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Sterlin Mattoon)
Region: Modoc County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 25, 2010
Observation date: Jul 07, 1970
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (S. K Dvorak, O. Shields)
Region: Modoc County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 25, 2010
Observation date: Jul 19, 1986
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (G. & A. Austin)
Region: Modoc County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 25, 2010
Observation date: Jul 15, 1968
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (John F. Emmel)
Region: Modoc County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 25, 2010
Observation date: Jul 15, 1968
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (J. Emmel, O. Shields)
Region: Modoc County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 25, 2010
Observation date: Jul 19, 1986
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (G. & A. Austin)
Region: Modoc County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 25, 2010
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