| Bronze copper | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Petrie Island, Ottawa | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Lycaenidae |
| Genus: | Lycaena |
| Species: | L. hyllus |
| Binomial name | |
| Lycaena hyllus (Cramer, [1775]) | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Lycaena hyllus, the bronze copper, is a butterfly of the lycaenids family found in North America. [1] [2]
The upperside has a brown background with golden zig-zag borders along the margins of the hindwings. Females have lighter areas in the forewings with several dark spots within the lighter areas. The undersides are primarily white with dark spots and underlying orange areas. The wingspan is 23 to 38 mm. [2]
It is widespread from Alberta to northern Nevada in the west through to the east coasts of Canada and the United States. [1] This butterfly's range is similar to that of the Lycaena heteronea , especially in Alberta. It is listed as a species of special concern in the US state of Connecticut. [3]
Their hosts are plants of the family Polygonaceae, [4] especially Water dock and curled dock. [1]
Adults have been observed feeding from blackberry and red clover. [4]
Lycaenidae is the second-largest family of butterflies, with over 6,000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies. They constitute about 30% of the known butterfly species.
Lycaena phlaeas, the small copper, American copper, or common copper, is a butterfly of the Lycaenids or gossamer-winged butterfly family. According to Guppy and Shepard (2001), its specific name phlaeas is said to be derived either from the Greek phlego, "to burn up" or from the Latin floreo, "to flourish".
The purple-shot copper is a butterfly in the family of the Lycaenidae or copper butterflies and in the genus of the Lycaena.
The scarce copper is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae.
The purple-edged copper is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae.
Lycaena tityrus, the sooty copper, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Europe.
Lycaena dorcas is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae, the gossamer-winged butterflies. Its common names include dorcas copper and cinquefoil copper. The species was first described by William Kirby in 1837. It is native to North America. The species L. dospassosi was once included in L. dorcas.
Lycaena epixanthe, the bog copper or cranberry-bog copper, is a North American butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. Adults like to sip drops of dew clinging to leaves and almost exclusively nectar on their host plant, cranberries. Because of this, bog coppers will spend their entire lives within the area of a single acid bog. Even though their flight is weak and close to the ground, bog coppers are hard to catch because of the habitat in which they live. Also, 85% of the bog coppers life span is spent in the egg. It is listed as a species of special concern in the US state of Connecticut.
Callophrys henrici, the Henry's elfin or woodland elfin, is a North American butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. In Canada it is found from southern Manitoba to southern Nova Scotia. It has two main groups of populations in the United States; the first is found along the Atlantic Coast and uses various hollies (Ilex) as host plants; and the second is found mainly in the north and the Appalachians where they use redbud as a host plant. Henry's elfin is increasing in New England because of an introduced buckthorn it now uses as a host plant. It is listed as a species of special concern in the US state of Connecticut.
Speyeria atlantis, the Atlantis fritillary, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae of North America. It is from the Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland and Labrador to northern British Columbia, across the northern United States south as far as Colorado and West Virginia. It resides as far north as James Bay. The species is listed as endangered in Connecticut.
Celastrina neglecta, the summer azure, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in North America. Layberry, Hall, and Lafontaine, in The Butterflies of Canada, describe the species:
The upper surface is pale blue with an extensive dusting of white scales, especially on the hindwing. In some females the blue is almost entirely replaced by white with a small amount of blue near the wing bases. Females have a broad blackish-grey band on the outer third and costa of the forewing. The underside is chalky white to pale grey with tiny dark grey spots and a zigzagged submarginal line on the hindwing.
Speyeria edwardsii, the Edwards' fritillary, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae of North America. It is common from Alberta west to Manitoba and south as far as northern New Mexico.
Speyeria coronis, the Coronis fritillary, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae of North America. It is common from Baja California to Washington and east to Colorado and western South Dakota and once reported in Alberta.
Lycaena arota, the tailed copper, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in North America from New Mexico north and west to Oregon, south to southern California and Baja California, Mexico.
The blue copper, also known as Lycaena heteronea, is an American butterfly that belongs to the gossamer-winged family. It is bright blue in color. The butterfly is named so because of the bright blue hue of the upper side of the wings of males. Females are brown on their upper side, however both sexes have white colored wings on the underside with black spots. Blue coppers are seen on the western coast of the United States and the Southwest region in Canada, particularly British Columbia and Alberta. The males are often confused with Boisduval’s blue, another species of butterfly. Blue coppers prefer to live in areas where species of Eriogonum are found. Blue copper larvae sometimes form mutualistic associations with Formica francoeuri, an ant species.
Media related to Lycaena hyllus at Wikimedia Commons