Tailed Copper
Lycaena arota (Boisduval, 1852)
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Lycaeninae
Identification: Each hindwing of both sexes has a tail. Upper surface of male copper-brown with iridescent purple sheen; female with orange and dark brown pattern. Underside of both sexes gray; forewing with black spots, hindwing with black scrawls and a band of submarginal white crescents.
Wing Span: 1 1/8 - 1 3/8 inches (3 - 3.5 cm).
Life History: Males perch in open areas, often near watercourses or ravines, in the morning to watch for females. Eggs are laid singly on host plant or on debris under it, and hibernate until the following spring. Caterpillars eat leaves.
Flight: One flight from May-August.
Caterpillar Hosts: Leaves of gooseberry and currant (Ribes species) in the Grossulariaceae family.
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Open mixed woodland, sagebrush, chaparral.
Range: New Mexico north and west to Oregon, south to southern California and Baja California.
Conservation: Clouded copper, subspecies nubila, has greatly declined in the vicinity of Los Angeles, California. Lycaena arota nubila has The Nature Conservancy rank of T1 - Critically imperiled because of extreme rarity (5 or fewer occurrences, or very few remaining individuals), or because of some factor of its biology making it especially vulnerable to extinction. (Critically endangered throughout its range).
NCGR:
Management Needs: Conserve remaining habitat of clouded copper. Consider habitat rehabilitation and reintroduction.
Comments: NULL
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 97 - 120 of 397 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 01, 2014
Submitted by: badyak
Region: Santa Clara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 02, 2014
Observation date: May 23, 2014
Submitted by: Nancy Hamlett
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 26, 2014
Observation date: Aug 27, 2013
Submitted by: plex1ppus
Region: Klamath County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 09, 2013
Observation date: Jun 23, 1984
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (George T. Austin)
Region: Lincoln County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 01, 2012
Observation date: Jul 31, 1987
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (George T. Austin)
Region: Eureka County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 01, 2012
Observation date: Jul 21, 1995
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (John B. Vernon)
Region: Lyon County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 01, 2012
Observation date: Jul 29, 2012
Submitted by: Niayre
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 03, 2012
Observation date: Jun 30, 2010
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (William Bouton)
Region: San Luis Obispo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Apr 20, 1986
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (unknown)
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jul 17, 1968
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (unknown)
Region: Modoc County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jun 07, 1949
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (unknown)
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jun 03, 1944
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (unknown)
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jul 27, 1923
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (unknown)
Region: Storey County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2011
Observation date: Aug 09, 1969
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Callaghan)
Region: Lander County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2011
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: paulopler (Paul Opler)
Region: United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Sep 06, 2010
Observation date: Aug 01, 1990
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Scott North)
Region: Humboldt County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Aug 02, 2010
Observation date: Aug 05, 1979
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (A. M. Shapiro)
Region: Trinity County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Aug 02, 2010
Observation date: Sep 20, 1979
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (A. M. Shapiro)
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Aug 02, 2010
Observation date: Sep 05, 1976
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (A. M. Shapiro)
Region: Trinity County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Aug 02, 2010
Observation date: Sep 07, 1976
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (A. M. Shapiro)
Region: Trinity County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Aug 02, 2010
Observation date: Aug 06, 1978
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (A. M. Shapiro)
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Aug 02, 2010
Observation date: Sep 06, 1976
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (A. M. Shapiro)
Region: Trinity County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Aug 02, 2010
Observation date: Sep 08, 1976
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (A. M. Shapiro)
Region: Trinity County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Aug 02, 2010
Observation date: Sep 16, 1978
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (A. M. Shapiro)
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Aug 02, 2010
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