American Copper
Lycaena phlaeas (Linnaeus, 1761)
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Lycaeninae
Identification: Upper surface of forewing shiny, fiery orange-red with black spots; hindwing gray with orange-red outer margin. Underside gray; hindwing with submarginal row of orange-red zigzags.
Wing Span: 7/8 - 1 3/8 inches (2.2 - 3.5 cm).
Life History: Males perch on grass or weeds to look for females. Eggs are laid singly on host plant stems or leaves. Young caterpillars chew holes in the underside of leaves; older ones make channels in the leaf tissue. Chrysalids overwinter.
Flight: One flight from July-September for alpine and arctic populations. Two flights in the north from June-July and August-September; three flights in the south from April-September.
Caterpillar Hosts: Herbs of the buckwheat (Polygonaceae) family including sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella), curled dock (Rumex crispus), and Oxyria digyna.
Adult Food: Nectar from many flowers including common buttercup, white clover, butterflyweed, yarrow, ox-eye daisy, and various composites.
Habitat: In disturbed places in the East including pastures, landfills, vacant lots, road edges, old fields; rocky places in alpine habitats, and tundra in the arctic.
Range: Nova Scotia south to Georgia, Tennessee, and Arkansas; west across Great Lake states to North Dakota. Native populations found in the Arctic and the western mountains. Comments: Eastern and midwest populations probably result from an introduction from Scandinavia during the colonial period.
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.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 241 - 264 of 6493 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 31, 2018
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Portage County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Sep 19, 2018
Observation date: Sep 01, 2018
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Portage County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Sep 19, 2018
Observation date: Sep 12, 2018
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Jackson County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Sep 13, 2018
Observation date: Sep 03, 2018
Submitted by: Jeanne9953
Region: Westchester County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Sep 04, 2018
Observation date: Sep 01, 2018
Submitted by: Jeanne9953
Region: Westchester County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Sep 02, 2018
Observation date: Jun 19, 2018
Submitted by: kathybrown
Region: Door County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: BGilley
Verified date: Aug 23, 2018
Observation date: Aug 17, 2018
Submitted by: rocksnstars
Region: Oxford County, Maine, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 20, 2018
Observation date: Aug 02, 2018
Submitted by: tom nolan
Region: Cape May County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Will Kerling
Verified date: Aug 20, 2018
Observation date: Aug 18, 2018
Submitted by: Goldndomer
Region: Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 19, 2018
Observation date: Jul 30, 2018
Submitted by: aarongunnar
Region: Jackson County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: BGilley
Verified date: Aug 17, 2018
Observation date: Jul 31, 2018
Submitted by: Ed Harrison
Region: Saratoga County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 03, 2018
Observation date: Jul 07, 2018
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: New Haven County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: PDeGennaro
Verified date: Jul 25, 2018
Observation date: Jul 17, 2018
Submitted by: edcope66
Region: Winnebago County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 21, 2018
Observation date: Jul 19, 2018
Submitted by: Mark Plessner
Region: Lucas County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 21, 2018
Observation date: Jul 18, 2018
Submitted by: Jeanne9953
Region: Westchester County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 21, 2018
Observation date: Jun 30, 2018
Submitted by: the meowking
Region: Kings County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 16, 2018
Observation date: Jul 02, 2018
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Columbia County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Jul 13, 2018
Observation date: Jul 08, 2018
Submitted by: Jeanne9953
Region: Westchester County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jul 10, 2018
Observation date: Jul 07, 2018
Submitted by: Mark Plessner
Region: Lucas County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 08, 2018
Observation date: Jun 08, 2018
Submitted by: tom nolan
Region: Cape May County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Will Kerling
Verified date: Jun 12, 2018
Observation date: May 26, 2018
Submitted by: Cameala
Region: Juniata County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 09, 2018
Observation date: May 29, 2018
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Ingham County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: May 30, 2018
Observation date: May 12, 2018
Submitted by: Cameala
Region: Juniata County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 18, 2018
Observation date: May 10, 2018
Submitted by: ian pepper
Region: Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: sharonstichter2
Verified date: May 16, 2018
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