California Tortoiseshell
Nymphalis californica (Boisduval, 1852)
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Nymphalinae
Identification: Upperside is orange-brown with large black spots and dark wing borders. Underside looks like a dead leaf and is dark mottled brown with darker wing bases; hindwing does not have a centered silver spot.
Wing Span: 1 1/4 - 2 3/4 inches (3.2 - 7 cm).
Life History: Males perch in the late afternoon to look for females. Eggs are laid in bunches on the host plant; caterpillars eat leaves and feed together when young. Adults hibernate.
Flight: One brood overwinter. They fly the following spring until April or May, mating and laying eggs for the next brood.
Caterpillar Hosts: Various species of wild lilac (Ceanothus).
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Chaparral, woodland, brush areas, forest clearings and edges.
Range: British Columbia south along the Pacific Coast to Baja California Norte, east to Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico. Rare migrants to Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, and Vermont after periodic population explosions in Mexico.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Alternate Scientific Names:
Nymphalis california
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 49 - 72 of 1021 verified sightings
Observation date: Feb 09, 2023
Submitted by: Dobber31
Region: Santa Clara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Feb 20, 2023
Observation date: Jul 24, 2022
Submitted by: NikkiM
Region: Carbon County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Feb 14, 2023
Observation date: Aug 04, 2021
Submitted by: NikkiM
Region: Fremont County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Feb 13, 2023
Observation date: Jan 25, 2023
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: Contra Costa County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jan 27, 2023
Observation date: Apr 09, 2022
Submitted by: J Tinsman
Region: Clark County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jan 19, 2023
Observation date: Jun 08, 2022
Submitted by: Pheasantboy77
Region: Gallatin County, Montana, United States
Verified by: stevekohler
Verified date: Jan 18, 2023
Observation date: Jul 20, 2022
Submitted by: Pheasantboy77
Region: Gallatin County, Montana, United States
Verified by: stevekohler
Verified date: Jan 17, 2023
Observation date: Oct 18, 2022
Submitted by: Vitaliya2
Region: Canyon County, Idaho, United States
Verified by: stevekohler
Verified date: Jan 17, 2023
Observation date: Jul 12, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Duchesne County, Utah, United States
Verified by: RaisingButterfl...
Verified date: Dec 11, 2022
Observation date: Sep 04, 2021
Submitted by: NikkiM
Region: Yellowstone National Park County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Oct 18, 2022
Observation date: Aug 20, 2022
Submitted by: NikkiM
Region: Park County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Oct 18, 2022
Observation date: Jul 19, 2022
Submitted by: Pheasantboy77
Region: Beaverhead County, Montana, United States
Verified by: stevekohler
Verified date: Oct 07, 2022
Observation date: Sep 21, 2022
Submitted by: Vickie J Anderson
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Sep 23, 2022
Observation date: Sep 19, 2022
Submitted by: Linda Fink
Region: Yamhill County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 20, 2022
Observation date: Aug 01, 2022
Submitted by: Pheasantboy77
Region: Granite County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Sep 20, 2022
Observation date: Jul 22, 2019
Submitted by: DeniseH
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Sep 14, 2022
Observation date: Jul 25, 2019
Submitted by: Claire Christensen
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Sep 14, 2022
Observation date: Apr 10, 2020
Submitted by: Joyce Kozdrowski
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Sep 10, 2022
Observation date: Apr 13, 2020
Submitted by: Joyce Kozdrowski
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Sep 10, 2022
Observation date: Apr 20, 2020
Submitted by: bobscafe
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Sep 10, 2022
Observation date: Jul 30, 2022
Submitted by: jbh1992
Region: Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 25, 2022
Observation date: Sep 02, 2020
Submitted by: Davi
Region: Multnomah County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 03, 2022
Observation date: Jul 30, 2022
Submitted by: falco1
Region: El Dorado County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 02, 2022
Observation date: Jul 15, 2022
Submitted by: NikkiM
Region: Carbon County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Aug 02, 2022
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