Fatal Metalmark

The calendula is putting on all sorts of buds and blooms now that the temperatures are a bit cooler. For most of the summer the plants were in sort of a stasis, just enduring the hot temperatures. One of the yellow blooms attracted a nectaring Fatal Metalmark (Calephelis nemesis) this past weekend. We're not the most familiar with metalmarks so we had to look this one up and it appears this is one of very few in our area, but the only one of this genus. Seepwillow and clematis are listed as food for the larvae. It's quite fun to see a new critter and remember where your first saw it later so we noted it in our butterfly book.