Ruddy Copper
Lycaena rubidus (Behr, 1866)
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Lycaeninae
Identification: Upperside of male bright red-orange; female duller orange-brown to dark brown. Underside of both sexes gray-white to gray-yellow; hindwing with or without muted black spots.
Wing Span: 1 1/8 - 1 5/8 inches (2.9 - 4.1 cm).
Life History: Males perch in open areas and along streams or gulches to watch for females. Eggs are laid singly on or near the base of the host plant. Eggs hibernate.
Flight: One flight from June-July at lower elevations; from July-August at higher elevations.
Caterpillar Hosts: Dock (Rumex) species in the buckwheat family (Polygonaceae).
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Dry gravelly or sandy areas such as arid streamsides, sagebrush, scrub, dry fields, alluvial washes.
Range: British Columbia east to North Dakota; south to central California, and northern New Mexico.
Conservation: Not usually required. Nature Conservancy Rank: G-5, Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
NCGR:
Management Needs: None reported.
Comments: NULL
Alternate Scientific Names:
Lycaena rubida
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 425 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 12, 2025
Submitted by: klamke
Region: Sioux County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Oct 27, 2025
Observation date: Aug 13, 2025
Submitted by: TomPeterson
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 24, 2025
Observation date: Aug 18, 2025
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Grand County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Aug 24, 2025
Observation date: Jul 31, 2025
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Grand County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Aug 03, 2025
Observation date: Jul 11, 2025
Submitted by: klamke
Region: Sioux County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Aug 01, 2025
Observation date: Jul 09, 2025
Submitted by: klamke
Region: Sioux County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Aug 01, 2025
Observation date: Jul 11, 2025
Submitted by: klamke
Region: Sioux County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Aug 01, 2025
Observation date: Jul 09, 2025
Submitted by: klamke
Region: Sioux County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Aug 01, 2025
Observation date: Jul 11, 2025
Submitted by: klamke
Region: Sioux County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Aug 01, 2025
Observation date: Jul 26, 2025
Submitted by: jvkopple2
Region: Boulder County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Jul 27, 2025
Observation date: Jul 24, 2025
Submitted by: Jon Kindschy
Region: Gunnison County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Jul 27, 2025
Observation date: Jul 10, 2025
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Grand County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Jul 13, 2025
Observation date: Jul 03, 2025
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Grand County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Jul 06, 2025
Observation date: Jun 15, 1985
Submitted by: papilio1
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 07, 2025
Observation date: Sep 13, 2006
Submitted by: papilio1
Region: Washoe County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 09, 2024
Observation date: Aug 12, 2024
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Grand County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Sep 24, 2024
Observation date: Aug 04, 2024
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Grand County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Sep 07, 2024
Observation date: Jul 23, 2024
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Garfield County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Aug 26, 2024
Observation date: Jul 28, 2024
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Grand County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Aug 23, 2024
Observation date: Aug 02, 2024
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Summit County, Utah, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 16, 2024
Observation date: Jun 11, 2024
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Grand County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Jul 02, 2024
Observation date: Oct 08, 2023
Submitted by: rajanrao
Region: Alpine County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 10, 2023
Observation date: Sep 18, 2023
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 21, 2023
Observation date: Jul 31, 2023
Submitted by: Canyon Wren
Region: Jefferson County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Sep 04, 2023
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