State Butterfly Of New Mexico

State Butterfly Of New Mexico

Sandia Hairstreak Butterfly Is The Official State Butterfly Of New Mexico. The Sandia hairstreak butterfly (Callophrys McFarland) was adopted the official state butterfly in 2003. The New Mexico State Butterfly Sandia hairstreak was discovered in Albuquerque in 1959 at La Cueva Canyon and can easily be found in New Mexico’s wide-open spaces, towns, and cities among native beargrass. The Sandia Hairstreak butterfly is gold and green in color, while its caterpillar is pink, lavender and white. 

 

Information About the Sandia Hairstreak Butterfly:

The New Mexico State Butterfly Sandia Hairstreak Butterfly is a species of butterfly native to North America. It has a fairly limited range and is a somewhat rare butterfly because of that. It is found in the yucca-agave desert in the Southwestern United States. It was discovered in 1959 by a member of the 4-H club. The butterfly is small – only 1 1⁄8 to 1 1⁄4 inches (2.9 – 3.2 centimeters) long. In both forms of adult and caterpillar, the State Butterfly Of New Mexico Sandia Hairstreak relies heavily on the plant Texas sacahuista (Nolina Texana.) It lays it’s egged on the stalk, the caterpillar eats on the plant after hatching and the adult feeds on the nectar. It is the state insect of New Mexico.

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