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
Get your BAMONA Gear!
Please donate!
We depend on donations to keep Butterflies and Moths of North America freely available. We want to express our gratitude to all who showed their support by making a contribution this year. You can donate to support this project at any time.
Advertise with us!
Do you have a product or service that you think would interest BAMONA users? If you would like to advertise on this website, contact us by email, or use the contact form and select the "Advertising" category.
Verified Sightings
Displaying 121 - 144 of 224 verified sightings
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: Jun 01, 1988
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Fresno County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Sep 24, 2009
Observation date: Jun 25, 1984
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Santa Cruz County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Sep 18, 2009
Observation date: May 31, 1999
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Inyo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Aug 28, 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: Aug 28, 2009
Observation date: Jun 29, 1990
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Aug 28, 2009
Observation date: May 29, 1959
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (J. W. Tilden)
Region: Mariposa County, California, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Garth & Tilden)
Verified date: Aug 28, 2009
Observation date: Jun 27, 1999
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Aug 28, 2009
Observation date: May 14, 1976
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Aug 28, 2009
Observation date: May 25, 2004
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Aug 28, 2009
Observation date: May 23, 1999
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Aug 28, 2009
Observation date: May 14, 1961
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (J. W. Tilden)
Region: Mariposa County, California, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Garth & Tilden)
Verified date: Aug 28, 2009
Observation date: Jun 14, 2003
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Placer County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Aug 28, 2009
Observation date: May 27, 1993
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Aug 28, 2009
Observation date: Jun 13, 1998
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Aug 28, 2009
Observation date: Jun 06, 1999
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Aug 28, 2009
Observation date: Jun 18, 1985
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (C. L. Hageman)
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Aug 28, 2009
Observation date: Jul 02, 2005
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Aug 28, 2009
Observation date: Jun 19, 1948
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (C. Kirkwood)
Region: Santa Barbara County, California, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Emmel & Emmel)
Verified date: Aug 28, 2009
Observation date: Jul 18, 1998
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Aug 28, 2009
Observation date: May 30, 1959
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (J. W. Tilden)
Region: Mariposa County, California, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Garth & Tilden)
Verified date: Aug 28, 2009
Observation date: Jun 27, 1999
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (John G. Pasko)
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Aug 28, 2009
Observation date: May 30, 1979
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Aug 28, 2009
- ‹ previous
- 6 of 10
- next ›