Reakirt's copper, mariposa copper • Lycaena mariposa
{Lycaena = likely from Lukaios meaning Arcadian; copper = a reference to the copper-coloured wings of species in this genus}
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Photos by John Reynolds
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Identification
Reakirt's copper is a small butterfly with a wingspan of 23-28 mm. It has a distinctively mottled grey or brownish with black pattern on its ventral hindwing (underside of the back wing). This feature visibly contrasts against the orange-ish and black ventral side of the front wing and against the upper wing colour, which is dark purple in males and brown tinged with orange or yellow in females. There are three subspecies.
Habitat & Range
This species can be seen in forest openings and riparian areas where its larval food plants occur (reported as Vaccinium species and bog-rosemary (Andromeda polifolia)) from late June to early September. It is widespread throughout BC and can be locally abundant. Its range extends north to Alaska, Yukon, and Northwest Territories, and south to the northwestern United States and along the coast to California.
iNaturalist
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/117335-Lycaena-mariposa
Reakirt's copper is a small butterfly with a wingspan of 23-28 mm. It has a distinctively mottled grey or brownish with black pattern on its ventral hindwing (underside of the back wing). This feature visibly contrasts against the orange-ish and black ventral side of the front wing and against the upper wing colour, which is dark purple in males and brown tinged with orange or yellow in females. There are three subspecies.
Habitat & Range
This species can be seen in forest openings and riparian areas where its larval food plants occur (reported as Vaccinium species and bog-rosemary (Andromeda polifolia)) from late June to early September. It is widespread throughout BC and can be locally abundant. Its range extends north to Alaska, Yukon, and Northwest Territories, and south to the northwestern United States and along the coast to California.
iNaturalist
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/117335-Lycaena-mariposa
References
Guppy, C. and Shepard, J. Lycaena mariposa Fabricius, 1807. In Klinkenberg, Brian. (Ed.). E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. Accessed 30/01/2015.
Layberry, R. A., Hall, P. W., and Lafontaine, J. D. (2014). Mariposa Copper (Lycaena mariposa) (Reakirt, 1866). The Butterflies of Canada reproduced in the Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Government of Canada. Accessed 30/01/2015.
Authors and editors of page
Kelly Fretwell and Brian Starzomski (2014).
Guppy, C. and Shepard, J. Lycaena mariposa Fabricius, 1807. In Klinkenberg, Brian. (Ed.). E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. Accessed 30/01/2015.
Layberry, R. A., Hall, P. W., and Lafontaine, J. D. (2014). Mariposa Copper (Lycaena mariposa) (Reakirt, 1866). The Butterflies of Canada reproduced in the Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Government of Canada. Accessed 30/01/2015.
Authors and editors of page
Kelly Fretwell and Brian Starzomski (2014).
