The species Lycaena phlaeas historically was under the genuses Lycia, Migonitis, Rumicia, Heodes and Papilio.
American Coppers are also known as little coppers and small coppers. L. phlaeas has been called American copper, flame copper, small copper, copper butterfly and short-tailed copper. L. p. feildeni hs been known as Feilden's copper, arctic copper, and tundra copper. L. p. arethusa is named Arethusa copper and American copper, and L. p. hypophlaeas has been called western American copper and American copper. Lastly, L. p. arctodon is known as beartooth copper.
American coppers communicate visually, and use touch during courtship.
Communication Channels: visual ; tactile
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; chemical
American coppers are stable across their range and are of no conservation concern at this time.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
State of Michigan List: no special status
After the egg hatches, American copper larvae will mature in three weeks. Pupation occurs under shelter such as stones, logs, or boards. According to some authors, American coppers overwinter as a chrysalis, however Scott (1986) reports that half-grown larvae hibernate, with the diapause triggered by short photoperiod and low temperatures. Adults emerge in the springtime.
Development - Life Cycle: metamorphosis ; diapause
There are no known adverse affects of American coppers on humans.
Butterfly watchers enjoy seeing these colorful butterflies, and as part of a larger community of butterfly species, attract ecotourist dollars.
Positive Impacts: ecotourism
American coppers most likely serve as minor pollinators. They also serve as a food source for a variety of predators.
Ecosystem Impact: pollinates
American copper larvae are known to feed on docks (Rumex) including sheep sorrel (R. acetosella), curly dock (R. crispus), Oxyria digyna, and in Europe Polygonum, associated with R. alpestris.
Adults eat the nectar of may species, including common buttercup (Ranunculus acris), clovers (Trifolium spp.), yarrow (Achillea millifolium), oxeye daisy (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum), butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa), alfalfa (Medicago sativa), blazing star (Liatris spicata), dwarf cinquefoil (Potentilla canadensis), wild strawberry (Frageria virginiana), and mountain mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum).
Plant Foods: leaves; nectar
Primary Diet: herbivore (Folivore , Nectarivore )
The distribution of Lycaena phlaeas is Holarctic, covering northern and central North America, Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa. L. p. americana is found from Ontario to Kansas eastward; L. p. arethusa occupies the northwest but most likely is not found in central Alaska; L. p. polaris inhabits the west Arctic and Scandanavia; and L. p. phlaeas is found in Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa. Some authors believe L. p. americana may have been introduced to North America from Scandanavia in colonial times.
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic ; palearctic (Native )
Other Geographic Terms: holarctic
American coppers can be found in most disturbed areas including fields, sandy prairies, powerlines, waste places and rocky places in the Rockies, and alpine fell-fields in the Sierra Mountains and arctic tundra.
Habitat Regions: temperate ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: tundra ; savanna or grassland ; mountains
Other Habitat Features: urban ; suburban ; agricultural
In Japan, American coppers lived up to 14 days in the wild. If they overwinter, they can live almost a year.
Typical lifespan
Status: wild: 1 (high) years.
Adult American coppers are one of the smallest coppers, with the average wing length 1.3 cm in males (range 1.2-1.4 cm) and 1.5 cm in females (range 1.3-1.6 cm). They have orange forewings with black spots and a dark outer wing margin, and a grayish upper hindwing with and orange border with a row of black spots. The undersurface of the forewing is pale orange with black spots, and the hindwing a powder white with black spots and orange band.
The red larvae are slug-like in appearance, and can range in color from red to light green or yellow green. They are covered with short hairs.
The eggs are greenish white, ribbed, and turn completely white as they age.
Pupae of American Coppers are light brown with many dark colored dots.
Range wingspan: 2.4 to 3.2 cm.
Average wingspan: 2.6 cm.
Other Physical Features: ectothermic ; heterothermic ; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: female larger
Predators of all life stages of butterflies include a variety of insect parasatoids. These wasps or flies will consume the body fluids first, and then eat the internal organs, ultimately killing the butterfly. Those wasps that lay eggs inside the host body include Ichneumonidae, Braconidae, Pteromalidae, Chalcidoidea, Encyrtidae, Eulophidae, Scelionidae, Trichogrammatidae, and others. Trichogrammatidae live inside the eggs, and are smaller than a pinhead. certain flies (Tachinidae, some Sarcophagida, etc.) produce large eggs and glue them onto the outside of the host. The hatching larvae then burrow into the butterfly larvae. Other flies will lays many small eggs directly on the larval hostplants, and these are ingested by the caterpillars as they feed.
Most predators of butterflies are other insects. Praying mantis, lacewings, ladybird beetles, assasin bugs, carabid beetles, spiders, ants, and wasps (Vespidae, Pompilidae, and others) prey upon the larvae. Adult butterflies are eaten by robber flies, ambush bugs, spiders, dragonflies, ants, wasps (Vespidae and Sphecidae), and tiger beetles. The sundew plant is known to catch some butterflies.
There are also many vertebrate predators including lizards, frogs, toads, birds, mice, and other rodents.
Male American coppers perch on the tops of leaves and flowers in low spots, awaiting females to pass by. Alpine males will perch in nooks at the base of rocky slopes. The males differentiate the females by their wing pattern.
These butterflies mate between early spring and fall. American coppers produce a single brood in the northern parts of their range, and may have up to three broods of eggs in the south.
Breeding interval: American coppers are single brooded in the northern parts of their range, and may have up to three broods in the south.
Breeding season: Flights begin in early spring and continue into fall.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization (Internal ); oviparous
Butteflies do not exhibit parental care.
Parental Investment: no parental involvement
