Tag Archives: California Coffee-Berry

Karen Tracy and a friend were walking on the bluffs recently when they came across this beautiful Elegant Sheep Moth, Hemileuca eglanterina. It is a Silk Moth and a California native. This moth only appears in the summer and is a rare sighting.

With its pink wings highlighted in black and its yellow body, this is one beautiful moth. No surprise, this California native feeds on native plants, which include Ceanothus and California Coffee-Berry.

Thanks to Karen for allowing me to share her photo with you here. To see another photo of this moth showing two mating, here is the link: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/10/16/elegant-sheepmoth-a-beautiful-and-rare-moth-photographed-by-patricia-mcbratney/

A Pale Swallowtail - Papilio eurymedon - visited our neighbor's wax myrtles yesterday delighting us with its beauty. One of the caterpillar hosts for this butterfly is the California Coffee-Berry bush, which we have growing on our property in Anchor Bay.