Lilac-bordered Copper
Lycaena nivalis (Boisduval, 1869)
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Lycaeninae
Identification: Upperside of male coppery brown with red-orange sheen; females brown to orange. Underside yellow or cream with a pink-purple tinge toward the outer edge.
Wing Span: 1 - 1 3/8 inches (2.5 - 3.5 cm).
Life History: Males perch in hollows in open areas to watch for females. Eggs are laid singly on or near base of host plant; hibernate until the next spring. Caterpillars feed on leaves.
Flight: One flight from June-August.
Caterpillar Hosts: Douglas\' knotweed (Polygonum douglasii) in the buckwheat family (Polygonaceae).
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Open forest, sagebrush hillsides near streams, rocky valley floors.
Range: British Columbia south and east to central California, Wyoming, and Colorado.
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.
Comments: NULL
Get your BAMONA Gear!
Please donate!
We depend on donations to keep Butterflies and Moths of North America freely available. We want to express our gratitude to all who showed their support by making a contribution this year. You can donate to support this project at any time.
Advertise with us!
Do you have a product or service that you think would interest BAMONA users? If you would like to advertise on this website, contact us by email, or use the contact form and select the "Advertising" category.
Verified Sightings
Displaying 25 - 48 of 371 verified sightings

Observation date: Jul 12, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jul 18, 2022

Observation date: Jul 12, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jul 18, 2022

Observation date: Jul 12, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jul 18, 2022

Observation date: Jul 12, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jul 18, 2022

Observation date: Jun 25, 2022
Submitted by: Team Kweeper
Region: El Dorado County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 03, 2022

Observation date: Sep 03, 2021
Submitted by: NikkiM
Region: Teton County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 07, 2022

Observation date: Jun 13, 2013
Submitted by: sfbaywildlife
Region: Alpine County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jan 02, 2022

Observation date: Aug 28, 2021
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Grand County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Oct 06, 2021

Observation date: Jul 23, 2021
Submitted by: glennfine
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 28, 2021

Observation date: Jul 13, 2021
Submitted by: Tim Shortell
Region: Gunnison County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Jul 27, 2021

Observation date: Jul 24, 2021
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jul 26, 2021

Observation date: Jul 18, 2021
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jul 19, 2021

Observation date: Jul 13, 2021
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jul 14, 2021

Observation date: Jul 13, 2021
Submitted by: hiker96
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jul 14, 2021

Observation date: Jun 28, 2021
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jun 28, 2021

Observation date: Jun 01, 2021
Submitted by: glennfine
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 04, 2021

Observation date: Jun 26, 2020
Submitted by: glennfine
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 27, 2021

Observation date: Jun 28, 2020
Submitted by: WYbutterflyer1
Region: Albany County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Feb 02, 2021

Observation date: Jun 16, 2012
Submitted by: Dwaine Wagoner
Region: Natrona County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jan 12, 2021

Observation date: Jul 07, 2020
Submitted by: Tim Shortell
Region: Gunnison County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: azukoff
Verified date: Sep 22, 2020

Observation date: Aug 05, 2020
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Aug 05, 2020

Observation date: Aug 02, 2020
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Aug 03, 2020

Observation date: Jul 22, 2020
Submitted by: cklindsey
Region: Modoc County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 01, 2020

Observation date: Jul 19, 2020
Submitted by: lewismagpie
Region: Okanogan County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jul 19, 2020
- ‹ previous
- 2 of 16
- next ›