Hermes Copper Lycaena hermes (W.H. Edwards, 1870)

Family: Lycaenidae

Subfamily: Lycaeninae

Identification: Each hindwing has 1 tail. Upperside brown with yellow-orange patch surrounding black spots. Underside bright yellow; forewing with 4-6 black spots, hindwing with 3-6 black spots.

Wing Span: 1 - 1 1/4 inches (2.5 - 3.2 cm).

Life History: Males perch to watch for females. Eggs are laid singly on twigs of host plant; they hibernate until the following spring. Caterpillars eat young leaves.

Flight: One flight from May-July.

Caterpillar Hosts: Redberry (Rhamnus crocea) in the buckthorn family (Rhamnaceae).

Adult Food: Nectar from flowers of wild buckwheat (Eriogonum) in the buckwheat family (Polygonaceae).

Habitat: Mixed woodlands, chaparral, and coastal sage scrub.

Range: Restricted range from San Diego County and adjacent Baja California Norte.

Conservation: Species of concern for U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Many colonies lost to development or threatened by fire.

NCGR: G3 - Very rare or local throughout its range or found locally in a restricted range (21 to 100 occurrences). (Threatened throughout its range).

Management Needs: Protect existing colonies from habitat loss and fragmentation.

Comments: NULL

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