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

Photograph

© Ian Gardiner     (Photo ID #5973)

Map

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Distribution of Lycaena hyllus in British Columbia.
(Click on the map to view a larger version.)
Source: Butterflies of British Columbia by Crispin Guppy and Jon Shepard © Royal BC Museum

Species Information


Adult

The Bronze Copper is easily distinguished from the other BC coppers by the uniform, white ground colour and very wide orange submarginal band on the ventral hindwings.

Immature Stages

Scudder (1889b) partially described the immatures. The egg is pale green with faint reticulation. The first instar larval head is fuscous, with the ocelli region black. The body is dusky yellow with pale hairs. The pupa is light yellow brown.

Subspecies

None. The type locality of the species is not fixed.

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


In the east, Scudder (1889b) found that the species had two broods, one in mid-June and the second in late August. The latter laid eggs that hibernated. The only record for BC is fresh specimens in early August in extreme northeastern BC. Based on the few additional records from the Peace River region of Alberta, the species is presumably univoltine in BC. BC specimens were found associated with Rumex species, presumably R. acetosa, but the plant has not been positively identified.

Habitat


The Bronze Copper was found by Shepard in 1999 along the Liard River Road. It was on the edge of wet, marshy habitat that also supported Lycaena dorcas. The species should eventually be found throughout northeastern BC in small, scattered colonies.

Distribution

Distribution

The Bronze Copper is found from northeastern BC and southeastern NT east and south to NS, CO, AR, and MD.

Status Information

Origin StatusProvincial StatusBC List
(Red Blue List)		COSEWIC
NativeS3BlueNot Listed



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