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
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 169 - 192 of 510 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 28, 1987
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Laurence Crabtree)
Region: Plumas County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 25, 2010
Observation date: Jul 22, 1990
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (A. M. Shapiro)
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 25, 2010
Observation date: Aug 10, 1983
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (A. M. Shapiro)
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 25, 2010
Observation date: Jul 24, 1987
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (A. M. Shapiro)
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 25, 2010
Observation date: Aug 12, 1990
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Scott North)
Region: Humboldt County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 25, 2010
Observation date: Aug 01, 1990
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Scott North)
Region: Humboldt County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 25, 2010
Observation date: Jul 13, 1985
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Sterling Mattoon)
Region: Plumas County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 25, 2010
Observation date: Jul 28, 1976
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (A. M. Shapiro)
Region: Nevada County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 07, 2010
Observation date: Sep 27, 1974
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (A. M. Shapiro)
Region: Nevada County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 07, 2010
Observation date: Jul 02, 1974
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Larry Orsak)
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 07, 2010
Observation date: Jun 29, 1974
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Larry Orsak)
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 07, 2010
Observation date: Jul 21, 1974
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (John F. Emmel)
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 07, 2010
Observation date: Jun 29, 1974
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Larry Orsak)
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 07, 2010
Observation date: Jul 10, 1965
Submitted by: ray.stanford@st... (Ray Stanford)
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 06, 2010
Observation date: Aug 06, 1960
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Tom & John Emmel)
Region: Placer County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Aug 16, 1960
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Tom & John Emmel)
Region: Placer County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Jul 08, 1951
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Lloyd Martin)
Region: Inyo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Jul 07, 1962
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Robert L. Langston)
Region: Sonoma County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Aug 02, 1997
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Jeffrey Glassberg)
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 05, 2010
Observation date: Jul 26, 1922
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (unknown)
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (William H. Howe)
Verified date: Dec 17, 2009
Observation date: Sep 03, 1958
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (J. W. Tilden)
Region: Tuolumne County, California, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Garth & Tilden)
Verified date: Dec 08, 2009
Observation date: Jul 21, 1958
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Oakley Shields)
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Garth & Tilden)
Verified date: Dec 08, 2009
Observation date: Aug 04, 1957
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Oakley Shields)
Region: Tuolumne County, California, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Garth & Tilden)
Verified date: Dec 08, 2009
Observation date: Jul 13, 1960
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Oakley Shields)
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Garth & Tilden)
Verified date: Dec 08, 2009
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