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 97 - 120 of 224 verified sightings
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: Jan 25, 2010
Observation date: Apr 15, 1972
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Dennis Sorg)
Region: Santa Clara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: Jun 08, 1973
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Norman Nakanishi)
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: Jul 09, 1944
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Erich Walter)
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: Jun 29, 1973
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Larry Orsak)
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: May 31, 1976
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Jack Levy)
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: Jun 29, 1973
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Larry Orsak)
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: Jun 29, 1973
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Larry Orsak)
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: Jun 12, 1972
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Larry Orsak)
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: Jun 25, 1976
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Jack Levy)
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: May 29, 1973
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Bob Koyama)
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: May 27, 1976
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Jack Levy)
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: Jun 19, 1997
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Jeffrey Glassberg)
Region: Monterey County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Jun 19, 1999
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Jeffrey Glassberg)
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (John R. Heitzman)
Region: Santa Clara County, California, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (William H. Howe)
Verified date: Dec 17, 2009
Observation date: Jul 02, 1952
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (J. W. Tilden)
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Oct 16, 2009
Observation date: May 12, 1953
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (J. W. Tilden)
Region: Santa Clara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Oct 15, 2009
Observation date: Jun 04, 2000
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Monterey County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Sep 24, 2009
Observation date: May 22, 1999
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: San Luis Obispo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Sep 24, 2009
Observation date: Jun 02, 2001
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Sep 24, 2009
Observation date: Jun 02, 2001
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Monterey County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Sep 24, 2009
Observation date: May 29, 1999
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: San Luis Obispo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Sep 24, 2009
Observation date: Jun 04, 1994
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Santa Barbara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Sep 24, 2009
Observation date: May 12, 1994
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Kings County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Sep 24, 2009
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