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American Copper - Lycaena phlaeas

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Lycaena

Description

The American copper has a wingspan of about an inch. It has rounded wings. The upperside of its forewings are bright copper with black spots and a gray border. Its hindwings are grayish-brown with a copper border. The undersides of its wings are gray with black spots. The underside of its hindwings has a wavy orangish-red band near the edge.

Range

range Lowland groups of the American copper are found from Nova Scotia, Canada south to Arkansas and Georgia, and west to North Dakota and Kansas. Arctic and alpine populations are found from Greenland west to Alaska and south to the Hudson Bay. American copper populations are also found in the mountains of some western states.

Habitat

Lowland populations of American coppers are found in pastures, landfills, roadsides, yards, and fields. Arctic and alpine populations are found above the tree line on barren ground and talus slopes. A talus slope is a pile of rocks at the base of a cliff or slope.

Diet

The American copper caterpillar eats herbs of the knotwood or Polygonaceae family including sheep sorrel and curled dock. The adult feeds on the nectar of common buttercup, goldenrod, white clover, butterflyweed, and yarrow.

Life Cycle

The male American copper perches in grassy areas and waits for a female. The female lays one egg at a time on the leaves of a host plant. The American copper produces one to two broods a year. The caterpillar is red to yellow-green and has red and white stripes.