Apodemia virgulti davenporti

Davenport's Metalmark

This metalmark looks superficially like nominate virgulti, but is single brooded with an adult flight mid April to late May. What phenotypical characters are different from its multiple-brooded relative are spelled out in detail in the original description by the Emmel brothers and Gordon Pratt in the 1998 Systematics book (pp.801-2). The type locality is Walker Pass in Kern County, and the distribution is the eastern (desert) side of the Sierra Nevadas south to the Tehachapis and Paiutes. My understanding is that this is the northern end of a boomerang-shaped cline which, at the other end, terminates with the dark subspecies mojavelimbus in Joshua Tree National Park. The middle of this cline is north of the San Gabriels (e.g. Valyermo) where the spring flyers blend and have a variety of wing characters. The main food plant for this butterfly's caterpillars is California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum). It also is said to use nudum and wrighti.

Apodemia virgulti davenporti
This is Apodemia virgulti davenporti, a spring flying, single-brooded member of the mormo-complex. From Piute Mountain Road off Kelso Valley Road, April 20, 2014.
Apodemia virgulti davenporti
Ventral of Apodemia virgulti davenporti, same day and place. This butterfly was named after Ken Davenport of Bakersfield, a generous and knowledgable collector of the Kern and Tulare County region and beyond.
Apodemia virgulti davenporti
I saw many on this day, 2.6 miles along Piute Mountain Road off Kelso Valley Rd., a great spot full of the host, Eriogonum fasciculatum. Thanks to David Horner and to Mr. Davenport for the exact location.
Apodemia virgulti davenporti
One more from a beautiful day. A key difference between this particular metalmark and nominate virgulti is that the former has but one brood, while the latter has two or three during the year.

©Dennis Walker