Calephelis nemesis
Encyclopedia
The Fatal Metalmark or Dusky Metalmark (Calephelis nemesis) is a butterfly
in the Riodinidae
family. It is found in the southern part of the United States
and Mexico
.
The wingspan
is 20-25 mm. The upperside of the wings is brown with somewhat darker median bands. The fringes are checkered. Adults feed on flower nectar.
The larvae feed on Encelia californica
, Baccharis glutinosa, Clematis drummondii and Clematis henryi.
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
in the Riodinidae
Riodinidae
The Riodinidae are a family of butterflies. The common name "metalmarks" refers to the small metallic-looking spots commonly found on their wings. There are approximately 1,000 species of metalmark butterflies in the world...
family. It is found in the southern part of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 20-25 mm. The upperside of the wings is brown with somewhat darker median bands. The fringes are checkered. Adults feed on flower nectar.
The larvae feed on Encelia californica
Encelia californica
Encelia californica is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common name California brittlebush. It is also commonly referred to as "California bush sunflower"....
, Baccharis glutinosa, Clematis drummondii and Clematis henryi.
Subspecies
- Calephelis nemesis nemesis (northern Mexico, Arizona)
- Calephelis nemesis australis (Edwards, 1877) (Texas)
- Calephelis nemesis californica McAlpine, 1971 (California)
- Calephelis nemesis dammersi McAlpine, 1971 (California)