Calephelis borealis

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Northern metalmark
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Riodinidae
Genus: Calephelis
Species:
C. borealis
Binomial name
Calephelis borealis
(Grote & Robinson, 1866)[1]
Synonyms
  • Nymphidia borealis Grote & Robinson, 1866
  • Calephelis geda Scudder, 1876

Calephelis borealis, commonly known as the northern metalmark, is a butterfly of the family Riodinidae. It ranges through western Connecticut south through west-central Pennsylvania; central Appalachians and Ohio River Valley. Isolated populations are also found in southwest Missouri and eastern Oklahoma. The habitat consists of open woodland streams near serpentine, shale or limestone barrens.

The wingspan is 29–32 mm. The wings are brown with wide orange borders and a dark median band. Adults are on wing from mid-June to late July in one generation per year.

The larvae feed on the leaves of Senecio obovatus and possibly Senecio aureus and Erigeron philadelphicus. Adults feed on nectar from flowers including butterflyweed, white sweet clover, goldenrod, ox-eye daisy, sneezeweed, and yarrow.[2]

The species is listed as endangered in the Connecticut by state authorities.[3]

The species overwinters in the larval stage in leaf litter.[citation needed]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Calephelis". Nic.funet.fi. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  2. ^ "Northern Metalmark Calephelis borealis (Grote & Robinson, 1866) | Butterflies and Moths of North America". Butterfliesandmoths.org. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  3. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2017-11-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)