Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Edith's Copper
Lycaena editha (Mead, 1878)


Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Lycaeninae
Identification: Upperside dark gray sometimes with minute tails on hindwing. Underside pale gray with complex pattern of black dots and swirls.
Wing Span: 7/8 to 1 1/4 inches (2.2 - 3.0 cm).
Life History: Males perch and patrol openings.
Flight: One flight from late June to August.
Caterpillar Hosts: Various docks (Rumex) and knotweeds (Polygonum).
Adult Food: Flower nectar including goldenrods, sulphur-flower, and white yarrow.
Habitat: Openings in lodgepole pine and other forests, sagebrush flats, and meadows.
Range: Idaho and western Montana south to California\'s Sierra Nevada, northern Utah, and northern Colorado.
Conservation: None needed, although habitats are being invade by weedy alien plants such as smooth brome. Extent of invasion is unknown. Subspecies
NCGR: G-5, Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery
Management Needs: None reported.
Comments: NULL