E-Fauna BC: Electronic Atlas of the Wildlife of British Columbia

Lycaena dione Fabricius, 1807
Coppers; Dione Copper
Family: Lycaenidae (Gossamer Wings)
Species account authors: Crispin Guppy and Jon Shepard.
Extracted from Butterflies of British Columbia
Introduction to the Lepidoptera of BC
The Families of Lepidoptera of BC
Introduction to the Butterflies of BC

Photo of species

© Norbert Kondla  Email the photographer   (Photo ID #74044)
E-Fauna BC Static Map
Distribution of Lycaena dione in British Columbia
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Species Information


Adult

The Dione Copper is the largest species of copper in BC. Unlike its sister species in Europe, the Large Copper, it has no copper colour on the wings but instead is greyish brown. The dorsal forewings have a submarginal band of orange surrounding black spots. This is narrow in males and wider in females. On the underside the ground colour of the wings is chalk white. The submarginal orange band of the hindwing is as conspicuous as on the upperside and continues as a faint band into the submargin of the forewing.

Immature Stages

The mature larva is green with a darker green or red dorsal stripe. The pupa is light pinkish brown with many dark spots (Opler and Krizek 1984).

Subspecies

None. The BC population is similar to Canadian Prairie populations, and represents, along with adjacent Montana and Idaho populations, relict populations of pluvial lakeshore habitat west of the Continental Divide. TL: Denison and New Jefferson, IA.

Genus Description


The name Lycaena is most likely derived from the Greek Lukaios (Arcadian), as several of the species names are those of Arcadian shepherds (Emmet 1991). The common name refers to the copper-coloured wings of most species. It was first used in North America by Emmons (1854).

The characteristics given for the subfamily also define the genus as used in BC. The larvae of northern Palearctic species all feed on plants of the family Polygonaceae, such as Rumex (dock/sorrel) and Polygonum (knotweed). Most North American species also feed on these genera, but some feed on Eriogonum or Oxyria (Polygonaceae), Potentilla (Rosaceae), and Vaccinium (Ericaceae). There are 15 North American species, of which nine occur in BC.

Biology


The few observations of the Dione Copper in BC indicate that it flies in a prolonged emergence from mid-July to mid-August. Eggs are laid one at a time on the underside of foodplant leaves (Opler and Krizek 1984). Skinner (1893) first recorded a larval foodplant, Rumex longifolius ? = obtusifolius (Polygonaceae). Scott (1992) notes other Rumex sp. Klassen et al. (1989) record Rumex aquaticus var. fenestratus and R. crispus in the Canadian prairies. The BC population at Elizabeth Lake in Cranbrook has only Polygonum amphibium to utilize as a larval foodplant (JHS). BC adults nectar on introduced yellow sweet clover. The population is threatened by city park development, road development, and management of the lake water level by Ducks Unlimited. The Dione Copper was common when first observed in 1989, but numbers have dropped drastically. In 1999 only one adult was seen.

Habitat


The only known BC population of the Dione Copper occurs on the north shore of Elizabeth Lake at Cranbrook. The adults fly in association with the presumed larval foodplant, which is found in the understorey of cattails on a broad shallow area near the shore.

Distribution

Distribution

The Dione Copper is found from southeastern BC and the northern panhandle of ID east to MB, and east of the Rockies south to northern TX and OK in the prairies.

Status Information

Origin StatusProvincial StatusBC List
(Red Blue List)		COSEWIC
NativeS2RedNot Listed
BC Ministry of Environment: BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer--the authoritative source for conservation information in British Columbia.

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General References

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Recommended citation: Author, Date. Page title. In Klinkenberg, Brian. (Editor) 2021. E-Fauna BC: Electronic Atlas of the Fauna of British Columbia [efauna.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. [Accessed: 2025-04-20 10:26:39 AM]
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