Attributes of Lycaena phlaeas
American Copper
Lycaena phlaeas (Linnaeus, 1761)
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Lycaeninae
Identification: Upper surface of forewing shiny, fiery orange-red with black spots; hindwing gray with orange-red outer margin. Underside gray; hindwing with submarginal row of orange-red zigzags.
Wing Span: 7/8 - 1 3/8 inches (2.2 - 3.5 cm).
Life History: Males perch on grass or weeds to look for females. Eggs are laid singly on host plant stems or leaves. Young caterpillars chew holes in the underside of leaves; older ones make channels in the leaf tissue. Chrysalids overwinter.
Flight: One flight from July-September for alpine and arctic populations. Two flights in the north from June-July and August-September; three flights in the south from April-September.
Caterpillar Hosts: Herbs of the buckwheat (Polygonaceae) family including sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella), curled dock (Rumex crispus), and Oxyria digyna.
Adult Food: Nectar from many flowers including common buttercup, white clover, butterflyweed, yarrow, ox-eye daisy, and various composites.
Habitat: In disturbed places in the East including pastures, landfills, vacant lots, road edges, old fields; rocky places in alpine habitats, and tundra in the arctic.
Range: Nova Scotia south to Georgia, Tennessee, and Arkansas; west across Great Lake states to North Dakota. Native populations found in the Arctic and the western mountains. Comments: Eastern and midwest populations probably result from an introduction from Scandinavia during the colonial period.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Taxonomy Notes:
Images of Lycaena phlaeas
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The map below displays all verified sighting records in the BAMONA database for this species. Each record is indicated with a yellow dot. The orange dots on the map provide access to information about the 200 most recently verified sightings of this species. In some instances, there are several records at the same location. Use the table view to access these records.
Instructions: Click on the map and move your mouse to pan.
Zoom by using the plus [+] and minus [-] on the left side of the map.
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The fifty most recently verified sightings are below. See more recently verified sightings of all species.
| Observation Date | Submitter | Region |
Verified Date |
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August 20, 2011 | Rick Henle | Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States | May 16, 2012 | Details |
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April 20, 2011 | Chip Krilowicz | Camden County, New Jersey, United States | May 16, 2012 | Details |
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July 20, 2010 | Chip Krilowicz | Burlington County, New Jersey, United States | May 16, 2012 | Details |
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April 13, 2012 | Chip Krilowicz | Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States | May 16, 2012 | Details |
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April 16, 2012 | Chip Krilowicz | Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States | May 16, 2012 | Details |
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May 10, 2012 | aarongunnar | Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States | May 13, 2012 | Details |
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April 21, 2012 | SaveNLivess | Suffolk County, New York, United States | April 28, 2012 | Details |
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June 04, 2011 | Chip Krilowicz | Sussex County, New Jersey, United States | March 31, 2012 | Details |
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June 05, 2010 | Jim Brighton | Queen Annes County, Maryland, United States | December 24, 2011 | Details |
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May 21, 2011 | Jim Brighton | Washington County, Maryland, United States | December 24, 2011 | Details |
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June 05, 2010 | Jim Brighton | Queen Annes County, Maryland, United States | December 24, 2011 | Details |
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August 14, 2011 | J_Martineau | Johnson County, Wyoming, United States | November 28, 2011 | Details |
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September 10, 2011 | jim8435wisc | Jackson County, Wisconsin, United States | September 15, 2011 | Details |
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September 11, 2011 | aarongunnar | Dunn County, Wisconsin, United States | September 15, 2011 | Details |
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September 01, 2011 | damselflies | Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States | September 04, 2011 | Details |
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September 03, 2011 | Jim Dolan | Columbiana County, Ohio, United States | September 03, 2011 | Details |
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August 06, 2011 | jim8435wisc | Monroe County, Wisconsin, United States | September 01, 2011 | Details |
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August 04, 2011 | dendroica5 | Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States | August 14, 2011 | Details |
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August 10, 2011 | dendroica5 | Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States | August 14, 2011 | Details |
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May 21, 2011 | mharlow | Iowa County, Wisconsin, United States | August 10, 2011 | Details |
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July 20, 2008 | rconnorsphoto | Unicoi County, Tennessee, United States | August 07, 2011 | Details |
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May 27, 2010 | James Fox | Oakland County, Michigan, United States | June 29, 2011 | Details |
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July 12, 2008 | cyric | Washington County, Rhode Island, United States | June 12, 2011 | Details |
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June 02, 2011 | WendyJG | Winnebago County, Illinois, United States | June 03, 2011 | Details |
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September 09, 2010 | glocamp | Isanti County, Minnesota, United States | May 15, 2011 | Details |
| June 03, 1995 | legacy.reporter (McWhirter, Doug) | Eaton County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| June 03, 1995 | Ranger Steve Mueller (Steven J. Mueller) | Mackinac County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| June 03, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Swales, John) | Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| June 06, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Keilb, Mike) | Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| June 07, 1995 | Ranger Steve Mueller (Steven J. Mueller) | Schoolcraft County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| June 08, 1995 | Ranger Steve Mueller (Steven J. Mueller) | Schoolcraft County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| June 21, 1995 | Ranger Steve Mueller (Steven J. Mueller) | Kent County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| June 21, 1995 | legacy.reporter (McWhirter, Doug) | Otsego County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| July 07, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Hicks, Tim with Mary Hicks, Ken Sherburn, John Walhout) | Muskegon County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| July 08, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Brown, Richard) | Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| September 05, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Keilb, Mike) | Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| September 09, 1995 | legacy.reporter (McWhirter, Doug) | Eaton County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| September 29, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Keilb, Mike) | Wayne County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| October 09, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Swales, John) | Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| October 25, 1995 | legacy.reporter (Reinoehl, Jack) | Hillsdale County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| May 21, 1996 | legacy.reporter (McWhirter, Doug) | Eaton County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| May 30, 1996 | legacy.reporter (Reinoehl, Jack) | Hillsdale County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| July 19, 1996 | legacy.reporter (Nowicki, Tim with A. Barber, J. Derek, C. & J. Haltom, D.& N. Henderson, J. & M. Nowicki,) | Oakland County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| August 03, 1996 | legacy.reporter (Hicks, Timothy with Janet Helmer, M. Hicks, Ken Sherburn, J. Walhout) | Muskegon County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| September 01, 1996 | legacy.reporter (McWhirter, Doug) | Eaton County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| September 01, 1996 | legacy.reporter (Perkins, Owen A.) | Oakland County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| September 01, 1996 | legacy.reporter (Granlund, Jim) | Roscommon County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| September 03, 1996 | legacy.reporter (DeGraff, Sue) | Lenawee County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| September 16, 1996 | Ranger Steve Mueller (Steven J. Mueller) | Kent County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details | |
| September 19, 1996 | legacy.reporter (Johnson, Sharon) | Mackinac County, Michigan, United States | May 01, 2011 | Details |
