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.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 125 verified sightings
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
Observation date: Sep 07, 2018
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Jackson County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Sep 08, 2018
Observation date: Aug 08, 2018
Submitted by: Reiner Jakubowski
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 21, 2018
Observation date: Aug 09, 2018
Submitted by: Reiner Jakubowski
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 21, 2018
Observation date: Jul 05, 2018
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Price County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Jul 13, 2018
Observation date: Aug 06, 2017
Submitted by: 907Naturalist
Region: Matanuska-Susitna, Alaska, United States
Verified by: Norbert Kondla
Verified date: Oct 12, 2017
Observation date: Aug 13, 2017
Submitted by: philsfotos1
Region: Iosco County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 14, 2017
Observation date: Jul 30, 2017
Submitted by: RobertWeeden
Region: Fairbanks North Star, Alaska, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Aug 03, 2017
Observation date: Jul 29, 2017
Submitted by: philsfotos1
Region: Iosco County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 29, 2017
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