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 265 - 288 of 6493 verified sightings
Observation date: May 03, 2018
Submitted by: LivObs
Region: Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: sharonstichter2
Verified date: May 16, 2018
Observation date: May 11, 2018
Submitted by: rogerashton
Region: Cape May County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Will Kerling
Verified date: May 14, 2018
Observation date: May 04, 2018
Submitted by: tom nolan
Region: Cape May County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Will Kerling
Verified date: May 07, 2018
Observation date: May 04, 2018
Submitted by: satchmo0802
Region: Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Will Kerling
Verified date: May 07, 2018
Observation date: Aug 04, 2017
Submitted by: rcarll
Region: Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Will Kerling
Verified date: Apr 20, 2018
Observation date: Aug 19, 2017
Submitted by: Mark Plessner
Region: Wood County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Mar 20, 2018
Observation date: Sep 19, 2017
Submitted by: aarongunnar
Region: Dane County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Feb 16, 2018
Observation date: May 27, 2017
Submitted by: Cameala
Region: Juniata County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Feb 03, 2018
Observation date: Jun 14, 2017
Submitted by: dpgbfly1
Region: Mille Lacs County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Jan 29, 2018
Observation date: May 28, 2017
Submitted by: safechrisLaurie
Region: Isanti County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Dec 27, 2017
Observation date: Jun 06, 2017
Submitted by: aarongunnar
Region: Marquette County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Dec 07, 2017
Observation date: Jun 06, 2017
Submitted by: aarongunnar
Region: Waushara County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Dec 07, 2017
Observation date: Aug 10, 2017
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Portage County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Dec 07, 2017
Observation date: Aug 12, 2017
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Portage County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Dec 07, 2017
Observation date: Jul 30, 2017
Submitted by: crx2aj3
Region: Oneida County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Nov 16, 2017
Observation date: Jul 15, 2017
Submitted by: LivObs
Region: Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: sharonstichter2
Verified date: Nov 14, 2017
Observation date: Jul 04, 2017
Submitted by: LivObs
Region: Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: sharonstichter2
Verified date: Nov 14, 2017
Observation date: Jul 30, 2017
Submitted by: LivObs
Region: Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: sharonstichter2
Verified date: Nov 14, 2017
Observation date: Aug 25, 2017
Submitted by: ian pepper
Region: Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: sharonstichter2
Verified date: Nov 14, 2017
Observation date: Jul 11, 2013
Submitted by: crx2aj3
Region: Albany County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Nov 14, 2017
Observation date: Jul 15, 2013
Submitted by: crx2aj3
Region: Albany County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Nov 06, 2017
Observation date: Aug 04, 2017
Submitted by: Quaker state mothing
Region: Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Nov 02, 2017
Observation date: Jun 01, 2016
Submitted by: billjacovina
Region: Suffolk County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Oct 12, 2017
Observation date: Sep 11, 2016
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Portage County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Oct 09, 2017
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