Little Metalmark

Calephelis virginiensis is the Little Metalmark, a small member of Riodinidae native to the southeastern United States. [2]

The upperwings are rusty orange with delicate metallic lines and dark, unchequered fringes; the underside is brighter orange. The wingspan is about 13–25 mm. [1][2]

Its principal range follows the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains into southeastern Texas. Colonies occupy grassy openings, pine savannas, open woods and vegetation beside wetlands. [2]

Females place eggs individually on host leaves. The flattened, sculptured eggs are reddish brown. Caterpillars are pale green with conspicuous white hairs and rows of reddish markings; the pupa retains a covering of larval hairs. [1]

Florida populations can produce successive generations through the year. Farther north, adult activity is concentrated in the warmer months, with several distinct broods. [1]

Larval hosts recorded in Florida include yellow thistle, Cirsium horridulum, and climbing hempvine, Mikania scandens. Adults take nectar from small composite flowers, including yarrow and coreopsis. [1][2]

Males wait on low vegetation for females. Caterpillars shelter beneath leaves by day and emerge to feed at night or in cloudy conditions. [2]

Young larvae feed from the lower leaf surface while leaving the upper cuticle intact. Their feeding produces small translucent windows rather than immediately cutting through the whole leaf. [1]