The BioFiles - Bill Hubick

Lustrous Copper (Lycaena cupreus)

Source: Wikipedia

Lustrous copper
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Lycaena
Species:
L. cuprea
Binomial name
Lycaena cuprea
Synonyms
  • Chalceria cupreus Dyar, 1903
  • Lycaena cupreus
  • Chrysophanus snowi Edwards, 1881

Lycaena cuprea, the lustrous copper, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in the western mountains of North America.[2]

The wingspan is 23–30 mm. Adults are on wing from mid-June to July or August. They feed on the nectar of Cirsium, Medicago sativa and Melilotus species.[2]

The larvae feed on Oxyria digyna and Rumex species.

Subspecies

[edit]
  • L. c. snowi (Edwards, 1881)
  • L. c. henryae (Cadbury, 1937)

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Lycaena at Markku Savela's website on Lepidoptera
  2. ^ a b Lustrous Copper, Butterflies of Canada