Dorcas Copper
Lycaena dorcas (W. Kirby, 1837)
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Lycaeninae
Identification: Upperside brown; male with blue-purple iridescence, female with few light areas. Hindwing with a few red-orange spots on border near anal angle. Underside is orange-brown.
Wing Span: 1 - 1 1/4 inches (2.5 - 3.2 cm).
Life History: Males perch and patrol near hostplants for females. Eggs are laid singly on the underside of host leaflets and drop to the ground in autumn. The eggs overwinter and in the spring the young caterpillars must find their way to the host plant to feed on the leaves.
Flight: One flight from June-September.
Caterpillar Hosts: Shrubby cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa) and other cinquefoils.
Adult Food: Not reported.
Habitat: Edges of bogs, old brushy fields, open places near small streams.
Range: Boreal Alaska and Canada south to Washington, east to eastern Ontario and the northern Great Lakes states. Isolated population in Maine.
Conservation: Subspecies claytoni in Maine should be conserved.
NCGR: G4 - Apparently secure globally, though it might be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: Manage and conserve habitat of Clayton\'s copper in Maine.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 49 - 72 of 133 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 05, 2011
Submitted by: SCM_Alaska
Region: Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jun 13, 2012
Observation date: Jul 24, 2011
Submitted by: BOGwalker
Region: St. Louis County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Feb 01, 2012
Observation date: Jul 25, 2011
Submitted by: cpcdolan
Region: Rio Grande County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Aug 18, 2011
Observation date: Jul 18, 1995
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Swales, John)
Region: Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: Ranger Steve Mueller (Steven J. Mueller)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jul 03, 1998
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Reinoehl, Jack)
Region: Clinton County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: Ranger Steve Mueller (Steven J. Mueller)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jul 03, 1998
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Starkey, Donald with A. Navarro, Owen Perkins, C., D., G, L., S. Starkey, J., J., S. Thompson, )
Region: Oakland County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: Ranger Steve Mueller (Steven J. Mueller)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jul 19, 1997
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Reinoehl, Jack with Jim Granlund, D. Powell)
Region: Hillsdale County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: Ranger Steve Mueller (Steven J. Mueller)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jul 03, 1998
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Reinoehl, Jack)
Region: Hillsdale County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: Ranger Steve Mueller (Steven J. Mueller)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jul 03, 1998
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Starkey, Donald)
Region: Oakland County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: Ranger Steve Mueller (Steven J. Mueller)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Aug 17, 1997
Submitted by: Ranger Steve Mueller (Steven J. Mueller)
Region: Charlevoix County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: Ranger Steve Mueller (Steven J. Mueller)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jul 03, 1998
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Reinoehl, Jack)
Region: Hillsdale County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: Ranger Steve Mueller (Steven J. Mueller)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jul 03, 1998
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Wykes, Roger, R. Kuhlman, C. Richards, C. Spence, John Swales)
Region: Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: Ranger Steve Mueller (Steven J. Mueller)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jul 15, 1997
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Perkins, Owen A.)
Region: Oakland County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: Ranger Steve Mueller (Steven J. Mueller)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jul 03, 1998
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Johnson, Sharon, Jeanne Raffin)
Region: Genesee County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: Ranger Steve Mueller (Steven J. Mueller)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jul 03, 1998
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Starkey, Donald, Owen Perkins, C. & D. & L. & S. Starkey, )
Region: Oakland County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: Ranger Steve Mueller (Steven J. Mueller)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Aug 01, 1997
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Johnson, Sharon)
Region: Oakland County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: Ranger Steve Mueller (Steven J. Mueller)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jul 03, 1998
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Reinoehl, Jack)
Region: Hillsdale County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: Ranger Steve Mueller (Steven J. Mueller)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jul 03, 1998
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Willard, Myles)
Region: Ogemaw County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: Ranger Steve Mueller (Steven J. Mueller)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jun 22, 1998
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Reinoehl, Jack)
Region: Hillsdale County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: Ranger Steve Mueller (Steven J. Mueller)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jul 03, 1998
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Schipper, Russ)
Region: Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: Ranger Steve Mueller (Steven J. Mueller)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jul 03, 1998
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Wykes, Roger with R. Kuhlman, John Swales)
Region: Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: Ranger Steve Mueller (Steven J. Mueller)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jul 17, 1997
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (McWhirter, Doug)
Region: Clinton County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: Ranger Steve Mueller (Steven J. Mueller)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jul 03, 1998
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Johnson, Sharon, Jeanne Raffin)
Region: Genesee County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: Ranger Steve Mueller (Steven J. Mueller)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
Observation date: Jul 03, 1998
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Harris J, Iwan B, Starkey C, Starkey Donald, Starkey S)
Region: Oakland County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: Ranger Steve Mueller (Steven J. Mueller)
Verified date: May 01, 2011
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