Small copper

Small copper
L. p. eleus Aston Upthorpe, Oxfordshire
Conservation status
Not evaluated (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Lycaenidae
Genus:	Lycaena
Species:	L. phlaeas
Binomial name
Lycaena phlaeas (Linnaeus, 1761)
Synonyms
Papilio phlaeas Linnaeus, 1761 Papilio timeus Cramer, [1777] Papilio virgaureae Scopoli, 1763 Lycaena phlaeas aestivus Zeller, 1847 Polyommatus turcicus Gerhard, 1853 Heodes hyperborea Ford, 1924 Chrysophanus phloeas feildeni McLachlan, 1878 Heodes phlaeas coccineus Ford, 1924 Heodes phlaeas flavens Ford, 1924 Heodes ethiopica Poulton, 1922 Lycaena phlaeas f. polaris Courvoisier, 1911 Lycaena phlaeus chinensis ab. kurilensis Matsumura, 1928 Heodes kuriliphlaeas Bryk, 1942 Chrysophanus arethusa Dod, 1907 Chrysophanus abbottii Holland, 1892 Chrysophanus abbottii Holland, 1896 Polyommatus phlaeas var. comedarum Grum-Grshimailo, 1890 Polyommatus phlaeas var. oxiana Grum-Grshimailo, 1890 Polyommatus turanica Rühl, 1895 Lycaena phlaeas f. naruena Courvoisier, 1911 Heodes coccineus Ford, 1924 Chrysophanus pseudophlaeas Lucas, 1866 Chrysophanus phlaeas var. menelicki Thierry-Mieg, 1910 Heodes matsumuranus Bryk, 1946 Polyommatus hypophlaeas Boisduval, 1852 Lycaena americana Harris, 1862 Chrysophanus phlaeas var. americana ab. fasciata Strecker, 1878 Chrysophanus americanus ab. fulliolus Hulst, 1886 Lycaena bacchus Scudder, 1889 Heodes hypophlaeas ab. obliterata Scudder, 1889 Chrysophanus phlaeas adrienne Maynard, 1891 Heodes hypophlaeas f. caeca Reiff, 1913 Chrysophanus hypohplaeas ab. octomaculata Dean, 1918 Heodes hypophlaeas hypophlaeas ab. banksi Watson & Comstock, 1920 Heodes hypophlaeas ab. fulvus Rummel, 1929 Heodes hypophlaeas ab. neui Rummel, 1929 Hesperia eleus Fabricius, 1798 Lycaena phlaeas f. caerulopunctata Rühl, 1895 Chrysophanus phlaeas ab. oberthuri Blachier, 1908 Lycaena shima Gabriel, 1954

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 upperside forewings are a bright orange with a dark outside edge border and with eight or nine black spots. The hindwings are dark with an orange border. Some females also have a row of blue spots inside the orange border and are known as form caeruleopunctata. The undersides are patterned in a similar way but are paler. The black spots on the forewings are outlined in yellow and the dark colouring is replaced by a pale brownish grey. The hindwings are the same brown/grey colour with small black dots and a narrow orange border. The caterpillars (larvae) are usually green, but some have a purple stripe down the middle of the back and along each side.

L. p. eleus caeruleopunctata
Oxfordshire, UK

L. p. phlaeus male
Amarante, Portugal

It is widespread and common across Europe, Asia, and North America, and also found in North Africa south through to Ethiopia.

It can be found almost anywhere in south/central England and Wales although never, it seems, in large numbers. Its distribution becomes more patchy in northern England, Scotland and Ireland.

It is found in a wide variety range of habitats from chalk downlands, heathland, woodland clearings to churchyards and waste ground in cities.

In bright sun it is a very active little butterfly with the males setting up small territories which they will defend vigorously against rival males or indeed any unlucky passing insect. Even the shadow of a large bird passing overhead is enough to elicit a response. Females are pursued and mating usually occurs in vegetation.

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Wikipedia