Bronze Copper
Lycaena hyllus (Cramer, 1775)
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Lycaeninae
Identification: Upperside of male iridescent copper-brown; female forewing yellow-orange with black spots. Underside forewing of both sexes orange with black spots; underside hindwing is gray-white with black spots and a broad orange outer margin.
Wing Span: 1 1/4 - 1 7/8 inches (3.2 - 4.8 cm).
Life History: Males perch on low growth near host plants to watch for females. Eggs are laid singly on plants. Eggs hibernate until spring; caterpillars eat leaves.
Flight: Two in the north and west, from June-September; three in southern part of range, from May-November.
Caterpillar Hosts: Herbs of the buckwheat family (Polygonaceae) including curly dock (Rumex crispus).
Adult Food: Adults visit flowers only occasionally, but have been seen taking nectar at blackberry and red clover.
Habitat: Low, wet areas such as bogs, marshes, wet meadows, ponds.
Range: Maine west across southern Canada and the Great Lake states to eastern Montana and central Colorado; south to Arkansas, Mississippi, West Virginia, and Maryland.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Alternate Scientific Names:
Hyllolycaena hyllus
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 1640 verified sightings
Observation date: Oct 26, 2025
Submitted by: LittleWoodSatyr
Region: Lucas County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Oct 29, 2025
Observation date: Sep 25, 2025
Submitted by: Kansasbirder
Region: Riley County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Sep 25, 2025
Submitted by: Kansasbirder
Region: Riley County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Oct 07, 2025
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Oct 13, 2025
Observation date: Sep 28, 2025
Submitted by: Glenn H Thompson
Region: Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Oct 01, 2025
Observation date: Sep 27, 2025
Submitted by: drmarc60223
Region: Juneau County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 30, 2025
Observation date: Sep 15, 2025
Submitted by: Sometimes
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 15, 2025
Observation date: Jun 25, 2025
Submitted by: John Terpstra
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 27, 2025
Observation date: Aug 23, 2023
Submitted by: jofritz
Region: Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jan 01, 2025
Observation date: Oct 09, 2024
Submitted by: Mike L
Region: Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Oct 12, 2024
Observation date: Oct 09, 2024
Submitted by: Mike L
Region: Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Oct 12, 2024
Observation date: Oct 03, 2024
Submitted by: gjkoppel
Region: Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Oct 05, 2024
Observation date: Aug 04, 2023
Submitted by: dvollmar
Region: Lucas County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 19, 2024
Observation date: Sep 16, 2024
Submitted by: Joceb2005
Region: DuPage County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 19, 2024
Observation date: Jul 31, 2024
Submitted by: Paul Prappas
Region: Addison County, Vermont, United States
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Jul 31, 2024
Observation date: Jul 13, 2024
Submitted by: Puccini
Region: Roberts County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jul 16, 2024
Observation date: Jun 21, 2024
Submitted by: Lydiaak
Region: Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 24, 2024
Observation date: Jun 15, 2024
Submitted by: tjunderwood
Region: Sullivan County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 20, 2024
Observation date: Jul 14, 2023
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: New Brunswick, Canada
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 16, 2024
Observation date: Oct 13, 2023
Submitted by: gjkoppel
Region: Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Oct 18, 2023
Observation date: Oct 06, 2023
Submitted by: vogelbild
Region: DuPage County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Oct 07, 2023
Observation date: Aug 22, 2023
Submitted by: CL1858
Region: Lake County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 26, 2023
Observation date: Jun 13, 2023
Submitted by: jofritz
Region: Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 28, 2023
Observation date: Jun 18, 2023
Submitted by: Doug Nettleton
Region: Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 21, 2023
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