Category: Lepidoptera
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Mourning cloak
Binomial: Nympalis antiopa Range: Found throughout the northern hemisphere Larval Host Plants: Willows, Cottonwood, Aspen, Sugarberry, Quaking Aspen confirmed. Ash, Alder, Box Elder, Maple, Hackberry, and Birch likely. Also known to defoliate introduced Chinese elm. Though not as numerous as other butterfly species that we find at the Venice High School Learning Garden in Los…
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Great Valley Gumweed
Binomial: Grindelia camporum Range: Native to California and Baja California, possibly extending into Nevada. Bloom Period: April to October The oozing, sticky sheen of great valley gumweed blooms could be seen throughout the trail leading to the Scenic Baldwin Hills Overlook in Los Angeles. An important summer resource for pollinators, this daisy family member has…
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Square Spotted Blue
Binomial: Euphilotes battoides Range: From Washington south to Baja California Norte and then west to Colorado and New Mexico. Host Plants: Wild buckwheats (Eriogonum species). Caterpillars eat their flowers. Adults also favor Eriogonum nectar. This is one of dozens of square-spotted blue (also known as buckwheat blue) caterpillars that we have seen this July and…
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Fiery Skipper
Binomial: Hylephila phyleus Range: Found throughout California and in North and South America Host Plants: Various turfgrasses This button-sized butterfly is a fiery skipper probing for nectar on tiny yellow flowers. The one inch males have orange and yellow wings with black spots, hence the “fiery” name. The females, however, are a duller, yellowish-brown with…