Blue Copper
Lycaena heteronea Boisduval, 1852
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Lycaeninae
Identification: Upper surface of male bright blue, with darker veins; female dull blue to dark brown with numerous small dark spots. Underside of both sexes white to yellow-white; hindwing varies from having many to few black spots.
Wing Span: 1 1/8 - 1 3/8 inches (2.9 - 3.5 cm).
Life History: Most males patrol near host plants for females, but some perch. Females lay eggs singly on bracts under host leaves or umbels; eggs hatch the following spring. Young caterpillars feed on the underside of leaf; older ones eat all parts of the leaf.
Flight: One flight from May-August.
Caterpillar Hosts: Wild buckwheat (Eriogonum species) in the buckwheat family (Polygonaceae).
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers, including wild buckwheat.
Habitat: Brushy areas, open forest, mountain meadows, sagebrush; mostly at high elevations except for low elevations in central California.
Range: British Columbia south and east through southcentral California, northern Arizona, and northern New Mexico.
Conservation: Lycaena heteronea has The Nature Conservancy Global Rank of G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery. Varied Copper (subspecies clara) of southern California has been evaluated for conservation, and has The Nature Conservancy rank of T2 - Imperiled because of rarity (6 to 20 occurrences), or because of other factors demonstrably making it very vulnerable to extinction throughout its range. (Endangered throughout its range).
NCGR:
Management Needs: None reported.
Comments: NULL
Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 439 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 01, 2005
Submitted by: hydapse
Region: Carbon County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Feb 21, 2019
Observation date: Jul 03, 2016
Submitted by: KateTweedy
Region: Fremont County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Feb 05, 2019
Observation date: Jul 22, 2018
Submitted by: Todd Stefanic
Region: Butte County, Idaho, United States
Verified by: stevekohler
Verified date: Oct 03, 2018
Observation date: Jul 20, 2018
Submitted by: A_baldini
Region: Larimer County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Sep 10, 2018
Observation date: Aug 06, 2018
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 19, 2018
Observation date: Jul 15, 2018
Submitted by: Flutterby45
Region: Park County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Aug 03, 2018
Observation date: Jul 18, 2018
Submitted by: 4oclockwatch
Region: Jackson County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 02, 2018
Observation date: Aug 20, 2017
Submitted by: Todd Stefanic
Region: Park County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jul 30, 2018
Observation date: Jul 26, 2018
Submitted by: dsperanza
Region: Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jul 30, 2018
Observation date: Jul 19, 2018
Submitted by: wimvdam
Region: Placer County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 26, 2018
Observation date: Jul 05, 2018
Submitted by: Lisahug
Region: Sonoma County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 05, 2018
Observation date: Jul 14, 2012
Submitted by: abwest
Region: Butte County, Idaho, United States
Verified by: stevekohler
Verified date: Jun 19, 2018
Observation date: Jul 21, 2017
Submitted by: wallap74
Region: Gunnison County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Dec 28, 2017
Observation date: Aug 16, 2017
Submitted by: rebeccafm
Region: Grand County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Dec 26, 2017
Observation date: Jul 24, 2017
Submitted by: 4oclockwatch
Region: Jackson County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Nov 19, 2017
Observation date: Jul 20, 2017
Submitted by: 4oclockwatch
Region: Jackson County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Nov 19, 2017
Observation date: Jul 24, 2005
Submitted by: Lisahug
Region: Sonoma County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 29, 2017
Observation date: Jul 15, 2005
Submitted by: Lisahug
Region: Sonoma County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 29, 2017
Observation date: Jun 28, 2017
Submitted by: bobscafe
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Norbert Kondla
Verified date: Sep 22, 2017
Observation date: Sep 02, 2017
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 12, 2017
Observation date: Jun 18, 2017
Submitted by: icosahedron
Region: Sonoma County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 21, 2017
Observation date: Jul 30, 2016
Submitted by: opiliones
Region: White Pine County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 07, 2017
Observation date: Aug 16, 2016
Submitted by: TPeterson
Region: Shasta County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 04, 2016
Observation date: Aug 10, 2015
Submitted by: JulieArington
Region: Routt County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: azukoff
Verified date: Mar 08, 2016
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