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 145 - 168 of 224 verified sightings
Observation date: May 13, 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 24, 2006
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 30, 2002
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 21, 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 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 15, 1986
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Derham Giuliani)
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Aug 28, 2009
Observation date: Jun 20, 2002
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 17, 1989
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: Jul 04, 1983
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: 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: 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 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 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 24, 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 20, 2009
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Ray Bruun)
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Aug 28, 2009
Observation date: Jun 08, 2009
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jun 17, 2009
Observation date: May 26, 2009
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Inyo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jun 11, 2009
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Contra Costa County, California, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Lassen County, California, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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