Dorcas Copper
Lycaena dorcas (W. Kirby, 1837)
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Lycaeninae
Identification: Upperside brown; male with blue-purple iridescence, female with few light areas. Hindwing with a few red-orange spots on border near anal angle. Underside is orange-brown.
Wing Span: 1 - 1 1/4 inches (2.5 - 3.2 cm).
Life History: Males perch and patrol near hostplants for females. Eggs are laid singly on the underside of host leaflets and drop to the ground in autumn. The eggs overwinter and in the spring the young caterpillars must find their way to the host plant to feed on the leaves.
Flight: One flight from June-September.
Caterpillar Hosts: Shrubby cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa) and other cinquefoils.
Adult Food: Not reported.
Habitat: Edges of bogs, old brushy fields, open places near small streams.
Range: Boreal Alaska and Canada south to Washington, east to eastern Ontario and the northern Great Lakes states. Isolated population in Maine.
Conservation: Subspecies claytoni in Maine should be conserved.
NCGR: G4 - Apparently secure globally, though it might be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: Manage and conserve habitat of Clayton\'s copper in Maine.
BAMONA Shop
Please donate!
We depend on donations to keep Butterflies and Moths of North America freely available. We want to express our gratitude to all who showed their support by making a contribution this year. You can donate to support this project at any time.
Advertise with us!
Do you have a product or service that you think would interest BAMONA users? If you would like to advertise on this website, contact us by email, or use the contact form and select the "Advertising" category.
Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 133 verified sightings
Observation date: Sep 15, 2024
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Grand County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Sep 25, 2024
Observation date: Jul 21, 2024
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Fremont County, Idaho, United States
Verified by: stevekohler
Verified date: Sep 20, 2024
Observation date: Jul 21, 2024
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Fremont County, Idaho, United States
Verified by: stevekohler
Verified date: Sep 20, 2024
Observation date: Jul 29, 2024
Submitted by: John Gibbons
Region: Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 31, 2024
Observation date: Jul 25, 2024
Submitted by: John Gibbons
Region: Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 26, 2024
Observation date: Jul 09, 2024
Submitted by: John Gibbons
Region: Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 09, 2024
Observation date: Aug 09, 2023
Submitted by: John Gibbons
Region: Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 18, 2023
Observation date: Jun 29, 2023
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Chippewa County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Jul 16, 2023
Observation date: Jul 14, 2020
Submitted by: Aerogami
Region: Matanuska-Susitna, Alaska, United States
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 07, 2023
Observation date: Jul 22, 2018
Submitted by: bmcgurgan
Region: Alaska, United States
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 07, 2023
Observation date: Aug 10, 2020
Submitted by: Todd Boland
Region: Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Feb 05, 2023
Observation date: Aug 03, 2022
Submitted by: John Gibbons
Region: Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 03, 2022
Observation date: Jul 29, 2022
Submitted by: John Gibbons
Region: Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 03, 2022
Observation date: Jul 29, 2022
Submitted by: John Gibbons
Region: Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 03, 2022
Observation date: Jul 29, 2022
Submitted by: John Gibbons
Region: Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 03, 2022
Observation date: Jul 24, 2019
Submitted by: Northern John
Region: Manitoba, Canada
Verified by: chalicerae
Verified date: Aug 19, 2021
Observation date: Jul 27, 2007
Submitted by: Jay Cossey
Region: Manitoba, Canada
Verified by: chalicerae
Verified date: Aug 19, 2021
Observation date: Jul 05, 2013
Submitted by: bshettler
Region: Manitoba, Canada
Verified by: chalicerae
Verified date: Aug 19, 2021
Observation date: Jul 10, 2016
Submitted by: bshettler
Region: Manitoba, Canada
Verified by: chalicerae
Verified date: Aug 19, 2021
Observation date: Aug 01, 2019
Submitted by: Eric Wood
Region: St. Louis County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Aug 11, 2019
Observation date: Jul 31, 2019
Submitted by: Eric Wood
Region: St. Louis County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Aug 11, 2019
Observation date: Jul 10, 2018
Submitted by: Craig M Lipski
Region: Ogemaw County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 06, 2019
Observation date: Jul 12, 2016
Submitted by: Niayre
Region: Southeast Fairbanks, Alaska, United States
Verified by: Norbert Kondla
Verified date: Nov 24, 2018
Observation date: Jun 12, 2016
Submitted by: Niayre
Region: Southeast Fairbanks, Alaska, United States
Verified by: Norbert Kondla
Verified date: Nov 24, 2018
- 1 of 6
- next ›