Medium to small size butterfly, brown with white striping,orange spot and blue patch on wings.
Male. Nectaring on yellow daisy bush on side of Mariposa Rd. (frontage road) in Hesperia off the Ranchero Road exit.
Callophrys yahwehus which uses yapon holly (ilex vomitoria) as a host plant.
My first for 2024 at 48F; other reports from 3/1 and 3/3.
A butterfly sitting on a rock with its wings closed
ESG-22-148
one. really the only butterfly through that whole manzanita section to the campground. the manzanitas did not look good tbh.
This rare butterfly is only found in pine rockland in a few remaining spots. I've tried over a dozen times to find this species, so it was very sweet to finally connect with one. Beautiful!