Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Nymphalidae Rank Species | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Genus Chlosyne | |
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Similar Chlosyne leanira, Chlosyne acastus, Chlosyne gabbii, Chlosyne whitneyi, Chlosyne | ||
The California Patch (Chlosyne californica) is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family found in the Southwestern United States and Mexico. It lives in desert washes and canyons in regions between Southern Nevada south to southwestern Arizona, southeastern California, Baja California and Sonora.
The wingspan is 1 1/4 - 2 inches (32–51 mm). Adults upper side is black with a wide orange median band and large orange submarginal spots. Underside of the hindwing has a red spot near the abdomen which blends into the median band. Adults feed on flower nectar.
The larvae feed on Parish goldeneye (Bahiopsis parishii) and occasionally on Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus).
References
Chlosyne californica Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA