Nymphalis californica

Nymphalis californica is native to the western United States and southwestern Canada, and is migratory in much of its range as well as east across to the Great Lakes (Scott 1986). Habitats are chaparral and woodland . Host plants are shrubs, restricted to genus Ceanothus (Rhamnaceae). Eggs are laid on the host plant in clusters. Individuals overwinter as adults. There are variable numbers flights each year depending on latitude and some large-scale migrations (Scott 1986).

Most similar to the Compton Tortoiseshell (Roddia l-album = N. vaualbum), but californica has a black dorsal hindwing margin, not heavily marked with orange-brown as in l-album. There are no described subspecies; the name herri mentioned by Bird et al. is a cool-weather induced phenotype according to Guppy & Shepard (2001). There appears to be little geographic variation in this species, possibly due to the fact that it is able to migrate long distances, resulting in mixing of populations.

According to Opler (1999), this species is permanently established only from southern BC south to California, and southern Wyoming to northern New Mexico. Migrants occur as far north as the southern portion of the western provinces.

occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: (>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)) British Columbia east to Saskatchewan; south to S. Califor- nia, and south in Rockies to New Mexico. In migration, may travel as far as the Northeastern United States.

Open montane woods south of the Crowsnest, rare migrant elsewhere.

Comments: Mountainous terrain, esp. canyons. Also, brushland, lowland forest edges, and glades. Hosts include genus Ceanothus.

Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

The larvae feed on species of tea bush (Ceanothus spp.) in the western US and BC (Guppy & Shepard 2001).

Note: For many non-migratory species, occurrences are roughly equivalent to populations.

Estimated Number of Occurrences: 81 to >300

10,000 to >1,000,000 individuals

Comments: Population size extremely variable: scarce in some years, very numerous in others.

Adults feed on nectar and sip mud. Males perch for females (Scott, 1986).

One brood per year, appearing in early spring (April to May) and again in August to October.

The cylindrical, yellow-green eggs have vertical ridges. The mature larva is velvety black with two diffuse, yellow dorsal lines and orange-brown, branched spines (Guppy & Shepard 2001). Like the Compton Tortoiseshell, this species is very rare or absent in some years; it is unclear if all Aberta records represent migrants (spring) or offspring of migrants (fall). It is possible that californica is able to overwinter in the greater Waterton area wher the larval food plant occurs, although Guppy & Shepard (2001) suggest southern interior BC populations must be maintained over the long term by migrants from the south. Alberta records outside of the Waterton region certainly represent migrants, since the larval food plant does not occur elsewhere in the province.

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.

There is 1 barcode sequence available from BOLD and GenBank.   Below is the sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.  See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen.  Other sequences that do not yet meet barcode criteria may also be available.

Download FASTA File

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 1
Specimens with Barcodes: 17
Species With Barcodes: 1

Not of concern.

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

Reasons: Widespread, adaptable to disturbed conditions.

Degree of Threat: D : Unthreatened throughout its range, communities may be threatened in minor portions of the range or degree of variation falls within natural variation

Global Protection: Many to very many (13 to >40) occurrences appropriately protected and managed