Art Shapiro's Butterfly Site
Monitoring butterfly populations across Central California for more than 35 years… Callophrys sheridanii lemberti
Common Name: Lembert's Green Hairstreak
The correct taxonomy of all our little green hairstreaks is up for grabs. At any rate, this is a high montane-to-alpine animal, found from Lang (where it co-occurs with C. dumetorum) through Donner to Castle Peak and (formerly) Sierra Valley. It flies in very early spring (which can mean July at high elevation!), shortly after snowmelt, typically in subalpine or alpine "rock gardens" in association with various wild buckwheats (Eriogonum) which are its presumed hosts. Adults visit Pussy Paws and other early flowers; males perch territorially, often on shrubs, and also come to mud. Occasionally fairly common. At Donner it occurs only in the montane chaparral at the east end of the Pass, usually with Incisalia iroides and mossii, Euchloe hyantis and Hesperia juba at the beginning of the season.
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