Mormon metalmark, Apodemia mormo
The Mormon metalmark has a comical appearance.
It often has its antenna held close together and pointing straight out from its head. It also has huge green eyes that do not blend in well with the rest of its body and seem to pop. And, on top of all this, it has striped antennae.
Plants used by the Mormon Metalmark Larva
The larvae of the Mormon Metalmark feed on Buckwheats, Eriogonum spp. In particular they like Eriogonum fasciculatum, California buckwheat. It forms a two to three feet tall nicely rounded bush. Their white flowers dry to a chocolate color that lasts till the rain knocks them off in the winter. It is also very drought tolerant, surviving in hot, arid, chaparral.
Plants used as nectar sources by the Mormon Metalmark Butterfly
The adult Mormon Metalmark feeds on various flowers. They seem to like asters like Butterweed as well as Joaquin Daisy and California Aster.
Butterweed
Senecio douglasii is an open perennial shrub with many bright
showy yellow flowers. It is very drought tolerant and flowers in late
summer.
California
Aster, Aster chilensis, has light purple flowers and is very
floreferous.
Joaquin Daisy,
Bidens laevis, is nearly six feet tall with lush green leaves and
an abundance of large yellow flowers. It likes most soils and is very
popular with butterflies, including the Mormon metalmark. The flowers,
as well as being beautiful, have a sweet fragrance, especially in the
evenings
