host plant, travelling short distances of up to 50 m. Again, there is a slight distinction between sexes, with females tending to fly farther than males. Both males and females forage for nectar. Reproduction Mating occurs approximately three days into the adult lifespan. Females seek out male partners, who wait on food plants for their arrival. It has been postulated that females of the subspecies Langei mate multiply, because of an observed ratio of 2.6 spermatophores per female. Enemies Parasites Trichogramma kaykai, a small parasitic wasp, parasitize Apodemia mormo deserti, primarily located in the Mojave Desert. These wasps lay clutches of 3-5 offspring in each Apodemia mormo deserti egg. Genetics Population genetics The proper taxonomic classifications for Apodemia mormo are still under debate. Because the species tends to occur in small, isolated populations, the relatedness between populations is frequently questioned. A population genetics study conducted by Proshek revealed that the British Columbia and Saskatchewan populations of A. mormo in Canada are genetically distinct; furthermore, they uncovered higher genetic diversity in eastern vs. western populations, emphasizing low diversity in the British Columbia population. A second genetic study using AFLPs supports low genetic diversity in the British Columbia population, and reports high spatial genetic structure and limited gene flow between populations. Furthermore, they found genetic similarities between the Saskatchewan population and more eastern populations. The combined results of these two studies indicate potentials for current migration activities, as well as high genetic drift. In addition to genetic evidence, morphological and behavioral data are required to make firm taxonomic distinctions; however, genetic investigation has begun to reveal some of the challenges of classification. Subspecies There are at least twenty named subspecies of A. mormo. Below is a partial list of recognized subspecies: A. m. langei A. m. pueblo A. m. mejicanus A. m. nigrescens A. m. arenaria A. m. pratti Physiology A. mormo populations exhibit significant morphological variation, and therefore no singular description is a perfect fit for the species. In general, the butterfly has a wingspan of 25–35 mm, with males being slightly smaller than females. Females are further differentiated from males by their number of functional legs; females possess three pairs, while males do not utilize their shortened forelegs and thus only have two. The Canadian populations have been described as having white checked dark brown wings, a gray body, green eyes, and black and white banded antennae. There is a