bronze copper

not listed

N4N5 - Apparently Secure to Secure

S4S5 - Apparently Secure to Secure

not listed

Bronze copper is a medium-sized butterfly but one of the larger coppers (Subfamily Lycaeninae). It occurs in the northern half of the United States east of the Rocky Mountains, and in adjacent Canadian provinces. It is common in Minnesota. Adults have a wingspan of ⅞″ to 1½″ (23 to 38 mm).

Males and females are similar in appearance except for the upper side of the forewing. On the male the upper side of the forewing is coppery-brown with a purplish iridescent sheen that gradually disappears as the individual ages. There are two dark spots in the forewing cell, a dark cell end bar, a narrow dark band on the outer margin, and a white fringe. Other spots on the forewing are faint, barely visible. On the female the upperside of the forewing is bright yellowish-orange. All of the spots are prominent, black, and bordered with brown. The dark band on the outer margin is much broader. The upper side of the hindwing on both the male and female is dark coppery-brown with a broad orange band on the outer margin, a row of round submarginal spots that fuse with a thin black line on the margin, and a white fringe.

On both sexes the underside of the forewing is orange with black spots and a broad grayish-white band on the outer margin. The underside of the hindwing is the reverse, grayish-white with black spots and a broad orange band on the outer margin.

Wingspan: ⅞″ to 1½″ (23 to 38 mm)

American copper (Lycaena phlaeas) is smaller with a wingspan of no more than 1⅛″. The underside of the hindwing is darker and has much less orange.

Open moist areas near water: meadows, marshes, bogs, ditches, edges of ponds

Two broods: late June to late July and mid-August to early September

The female lays eggs singly on the leaves of host plants. The eggs of the second brood overwinter and hatch in the spring.

Leaves of dock (Rumex spp.) and knotweed (Polygonum spp.)

Adults occasionally feed on nectar, including blackberry and red clover.

Sources

21, 24, 29, 30, 75, 82.

Common

The taxonomy of the family Lycaenidae has long been disputed and continues to be the source of confusion. The two most common approaches to the classification can be termed “lumpers” and “splitters”. Lumpers classify all coppers in the single genus Lycaena, but divide the genus into several subgenera. Splitters raise many subgenera to the genus level and describe many new genera. According to lumpers, the differences between the proposed new genera are trivial, confusing, or nonexistent.

Most splitters place bronze copper in the new genus Tharsalea. Many sources follow this classification, including iNaturalist. Most North American sources do not, including Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA), BugGuide.net, and Moth Photographers Group.

This tiny butterfly didn't stay still for very long but finally came close enough to get this photo as it seemed to like being in the tall grasses that provided more cover for it in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge between the West Pool and Pool 7.

A Bronze Copper Butterfly in the Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge

it was fluttering among the tall grasses weaving in and out landing for a few moments on this blade of grass.

A Bronze Copper Butterfly landing on a blade of grass near the edge of the road

being careful with where I stood because my shadow would send it seeking deeper cover.

Location: La Crescent, MN, backyard

Location: Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge

A Bronze Copper Butterfly landing on a blade of grass near the edge of the road, being careful with where I stood because my shadow would send it seeking deeper cover.

Location: Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge

This tiny butterfly didn't stay still for very long but finally came close enough to get this photo as it seemed to like being in the tall grasses that provided more cover for it in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge between the West Pool and Pool 7.