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 73 - 96 of 1632 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 04, 2020
Submitted by: crandal
Region: Summit County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 05, 2020
Observation date: Jun 29, 2020
Submitted by: birdlady1
Region: Lake County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 30, 2020
Observation date: Jun 29, 2020
Submitted by: birdlady1
Region: Lake County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 30, 2020
Observation date: Jun 23, 2020
Submitted by: CathK
Region: Albany County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jun 24, 2020
Observation date: Jun 21, 2020
Submitted by: Craig William
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Jun 21, 2020
Observation date: Jun 20, 2020
Submitted by: Rjfischer
Region: Wayne County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 21, 2020
Observation date: Jul 04, 2018
Submitted by: schaarschmidt
Region: Meigs County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: Jun 18, 2020
Observation date: Jun 07, 2020
Submitted by: terrymortier
Region: St. Croix County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Jun 14, 2020
Observation date: Jun 10, 2020
Submitted by: bjones7777
Region: Lauderdale County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: Jun 11, 2020
Observation date: Jun 10, 2020
Submitted by: bjones7777
Region: Lauderdale County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: dbruce
Verified date: Jun 11, 2020
Observation date: Sep 04, 2006
Submitted by: Jay Cossey
Region: Holmes County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Mar 25, 2020
Observation date: Aug 03, 2019
Submitted by: lissum
Region: Tioga County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Mar 11, 2020
Observation date: Jul 19, 1977
Submitted by: Jay Cossey
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Feb 26, 2020
Observation date: Aug 17, 2019
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Dec 08, 2019
Observation date: Aug 18, 2019
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Dec 08, 2019
Observation date: Aug 14, 2018
Submitted by: hydapse
Region: Carbon County, Montana, United States
Verified by: stevekohler
Verified date: Nov 09, 2019
Observation date: Oct 15, 2019
Submitted by: IKSO_99
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Oct 15, 2019
Observation date: Oct 06, 2019
Submitted by: L Reid
Region: La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Oct 11, 2019
Observation date: Sep 06, 2019
Submitted by: BMcNaught
Region: Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Oct 08, 2019
Observation date: Sep 30, 2019
Submitted by: Colin Gillette
Region: Bradford County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Oct 01, 2019
Observation date: Aug 23, 2019
Submitted by: TomLally1969
Region: Dodge County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Sep 28, 2019
Observation date: Sep 01, 2019
Submitted by: aarongunnar
Region: Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Sep 28, 2019
Observation date: Sep 16, 2019
Submitted by: L Reid
Region: Winona County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Sep 28, 2019
Observation date: Sep 24, 2019
Submitted by: Craig M Lipski
Region: Livingston County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Sep 24, 2019
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