But the Legislature didn't make it official. The bill grew out of the efforts of teachers Betty Harding and Shirley Klein and their students at Dailey Elementary School in Fresno. In southern California, the adults are often found on thistle flowers. Entomologists once thought the males and females were two different species. Males are primarily yellow and black, and their forewings exhibit a beautiful iridescent violet-rose sheen.
Females are almost entirely lemon-yellow in color, with a small spot on the forewing.
Both sexes are about two inches across. California dog-faces add a bit of beauty to California as they flit about, occasionally stopping to sip nectar or drink from a moist spot.