Species Insects & ArthropodsPurplish Copper

Purplish Copper

Lycaena helloides

CommonInsect & Arthropod
Illustration of Purplish Copper (Lycaena helloides)

The Purplish Copper is a small, variable butterfly in which males display a warm purple-orange iridescence on their wings while females are more orange-brown with black spots. It can produce multiple broods per year and is one of the more adaptable copper species. Adults often perch on vegetation in wet meadows and are quick to investigate intruders.

Habitat
Wet meadows, marshes, roadsides, and disturbed areas
Diet
Larvae: docks and knotweeds. Adults: nectar from flowers
How common
Common

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