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 73 - 96 of 6474 verified sightings
Observation date: Oct 06, 2018
Submitted by: achterv_DE18
Region: Nova Scotia, Canada
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 27, 2022
Observation date: Jun 07, 2017
Submitted by: DaniaHfx
Region: Nova Scotia, Canada
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 27, 2022
Observation date: Jul 23, 2005
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Jan 30, 2022
Observation date: Oct 14, 2021
Submitted by: davidf66
Region: Suffolk County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Nov 10, 2021
Observation date: Aug 26, 2016
Submitted by: digginflowers
Region: Sussex County, Delaware, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 08, 2021
Observation date: Oct 29, 2016
Submitted by: Bill Link
Region: Baltimore County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 08, 2021
Observation date: Jun 25, 2017
Submitted by: Kurt R. Schwarz
Region: Howard County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 07, 2021
Observation date: Nov 05, 2017
Submitted by: kbeza31979
Region: Worcester County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 05, 2021
Observation date: Apr 25, 2018
Submitted by: Daniel Taylor
Region: Worcester County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 05, 2021
Observation date: Jun 16, 2018
Submitted by: Darrin Frye
Region: Frederick County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 05, 2021
Observation date: Aug 19, 2021
Submitted by: sherdelune
Region: Wicomico County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 24, 2021
Observation date: Aug 19, 2021
Submitted by: sherdelune
Region: Wicomico County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 24, 2021
Observation date: Aug 29, 2021
Submitted by: Eddie Wyatt
Region: Howard County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 24, 2021
Observation date: Sep 26, 2021
Submitted by: EKS
Region: Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 16, 2021
Observation date: Sep 26, 2021
Submitted by: dlister
Region: Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 16, 2021
Observation date: Sep 29, 2021
Submitted by: jfkoza
Region: Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 16, 2021
Observation date: Sep 26, 2021
Submitted by: EKS
Region: Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 16, 2021
Observation date: Aug 09, 2021
Submitted by: richardkra
Region: Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 16, 2021
Observation date: Sep 29, 2021
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 30, 2021
Observation date: Sep 27, 2021
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Ingham County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Sep 28, 2021
Observation date: Sep 23, 2021
Submitted by: ian pepper
Region: Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 25, 2021
Observation date: Aug 28, 2021
Submitted by: jfkoza
Region: Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 20, 2021
Observation date: Sep 17, 2021
Submitted by: kristasessions
Region: Tompkins County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Sep 18, 2021
Observation date: Sep 07, 2021
Submitted by: ian pepper
Region: Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 07, 2021
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