Bronze Copper
Lycaena hyllus (Cramer, 1775)
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Lycaeninae
Identification: Upperside of male iridescent copper-brown; female forewing yellow-orange with black spots. Underside forewing of both sexes orange with black spots; underside hindwing is gray-white with black spots and a broad orange outer margin.
Wing Span: 1 1/4 - 1 7/8 inches (3.2 - 4.8 cm).
Life History: Males perch on low growth near host plants to watch for females. Eggs are laid singly on plants. Eggs hibernate until spring; caterpillars eat leaves.
Flight: Two in the north and west, from June-September; three in southern part of range, from May-November.
Caterpillar Hosts: Herbs of the buckwheat family (Polygonaceae) including curly dock (Rumex crispus).
Adult Food: Adults visit flowers only occasionally, but have been seen taking nectar at blackberry and red clover.
Habitat: Low, wet areas such as bogs, marshes, wet meadows, ponds.
Range: Maine west across southern Canada and the Great Lake states to eastern Montana and central Colorado; south to Arkansas, Mississippi, West Virginia, and Maryland.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Alternate Scientific Names:
Hyllolycaena hyllus
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 1622 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 14, 2023
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: New Brunswick, Canada
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 16, 2024
Observation date: Oct 13, 2023
Submitted by: gjkoppel
Region: Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Oct 18, 2023
Observation date: Oct 06, 2023
Submitted by: vogelbild
Region: DuPage County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Oct 07, 2023
Observation date: Aug 22, 2023
Submitted by: CL1858
Region: Lake County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 26, 2023
Observation date: Jun 13, 2023
Submitted by: jofritz
Region: Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 28, 2023
Observation date: Jun 18, 2023
Submitted by: Doug Nettleton
Region: Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 21, 2023
Observation date: Jun 06, 2023
Submitted by: drmarc60223
Region: La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 06, 2023
Observation date: Sep 26, 2022
Submitted by: Bowbender
Region: Wayne County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Nov 15, 2022
Observation date: Sep 26, 2022
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 30, 2022
Observation date: Sep 07, 2022
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Hillsdale County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Sep 29, 2022
Observation date: Jul 21, 2020
Submitted by: Paul Prappas
Region: Alberta, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Sep 18, 2022
Observation date: Sep 15, 2022
Submitted by: Bowbender
Region: Ashland County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 16, 2022
Observation date: Sep 11, 2022
Submitted by: drmarc60223
Region: Buffalo County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 13, 2022
Observation date: Aug 10, 2022
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Allegan County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Sep 01, 2022
Observation date: Aug 09, 2022
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 10, 2022
Observation date: Aug 04, 2022
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 04, 2022
Observation date: Aug 04, 2022
Submitted by: pkondrashov
Region: Macon County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 04, 2022
Observation date: Jun 11, 2022
Submitted by: Rjfischer
Region: Wayne County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 22, 2022
Observation date: Oct 12, 2008
Submitted by: BarbSendelbach
Region: Sussex County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: BarbSendelbach
Verified date: Jun 06, 2022
Observation date: Jun 25, 2021
Submitted by: Bob Jacobson
Region: Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Apr 10, 2022
Observation date: Jul 01, 2019
Submitted by: DelawareDennis
Region: Kent County, Delaware, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 03, 2021
Observation date: Jun 26, 2021
Submitted by: Julius
Region: Polk County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: S. J. Stedman
Verified date: Nov 01, 2021
Observation date: Jul 11, 2020
Submitted by: twcrowe
Region: Kent County, Delaware, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 25, 2021
Observation date: Oct 06, 2021
Submitted by: KABerry
Region: Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Oct 07, 2021
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