Sonoran Metalmark (Apodemia mejicanus [Behr])
Wing span: 7/8 - 1 5/16 inches (2.2 - 3.3 cm).
Identification: Upperside orange-brown to black, checkered with black and white spots. Forewing outer portion black with white spots and inner portion with yellow-orange to brick-red patch. Underside gray with white spots to red-orange or yellow-
Life history: Males perch in hillside hollows or flats to watch for females. Eggs are laid in groups of 2-4 on lower leaves of host plant, or singly on other parts of plant. Caterpillars rest during the day in shelters of leaves tied together with silk.
Flight: Mid- February to mid-November (2-3 flights).
Caterpillar hosts: Various wild buckwheats (Eriogonum), including Inflated Buckwheat, Wright's Buckwheat, others, and possibly Kramerias.
Adult food: Nectar from flowers of Eriogonum and other plants, especially yellow-flowered composites.
Habitat: Various arid lands including rocky hills and alluvial fans and flats, oak grassland.
Range: Southeastern California, southern Nevada, Arizona, and southwestern New Mexico south to Baja California and mainland Mexico.
