Bathurst Copper
Encyclopedia
Paralucia spinifera, commonly known as the Bathurst Copper, is a species of butterfly
in the Lycaenidae
family. It is monotypic
within the genus Paralucia. It is endemic to Australia
. More commonly known as the purple copper butterfly is a small butterfly with a thick body and a wingspan of 20–30 mm.
The upper sides of its wings are copper-colored and have a purple,blue, and green iridescence when in the sunlight. The undersides of the wings are patterned with brown, black, and gray. Its black antennae are dotted with white spots, and end with a black tip.
The habitat of the purple copper butterfly is found primarily in altitudes above 900 m (3000 ft), and are generally seen with exposure to the full day sun (often with a west to north appearance), and with extremes of cold such as regular winter snowfalls or heavy frosts where it feeds on a form of Blackthorn. It has a mutualistic relationship with a species of small black ant, which protects the caterpillar from predators and the pupae within their nest.
The butterflies emerge between August (later at higher altitude sites) and November, with a two-week peak of activity in September. After mating, the female oviposits eggs on or near the area of B. spinosa subsp. lasiophylla
. After hatching, the larva is attended by A. itinerans which is thought to offer the larva predator protection and receive nutritional secretions from the larva.
The Bathurst Copper Butterfly is considered endangered in NSW and is listed on
Schedule 1 of the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (TSC Act). The
Bathurst Copper Butterfly is also listed nationally as a vulnerable species under
section 178 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
(EPBC Act).
Current threats to the Bathurst Copper Butterfly include clearing and development, weed invasion, grazing, and changes in controlled burn procedures.
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
in the Lycaenidae
Lycaenidae
The Lycaenidae are the second-largest family of butterflies, with about 6000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies...
family. It is monotypic
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
within the genus Paralucia. It is endemic to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. More commonly known as the purple copper butterfly is a small butterfly with a thick body and a wingspan of 20–30 mm.
The upper sides of its wings are copper-colored and have a purple,blue, and green iridescence when in the sunlight. The undersides of the wings are patterned with brown, black, and gray. Its black antennae are dotted with white spots, and end with a black tip.
The habitat of the purple copper butterfly is found primarily in altitudes above 900 m (3000 ft), and are generally seen with exposure to the full day sun (often with a west to north appearance), and with extremes of cold such as regular winter snowfalls or heavy frosts where it feeds on a form of Blackthorn. It has a mutualistic relationship with a species of small black ant, which protects the caterpillar from predators and the pupae within their nest.
The butterflies emerge between August (later at higher altitude sites) and November, with a two-week peak of activity in September. After mating, the female oviposits eggs on or near the area of B. spinosa subsp. lasiophylla
Bursaria spinosa
Bursaria spinosa is a small tree or shrub in the family Pittosporaceae. The species occurs in mainly in the eastern and southern half of Australia and not in Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Reaching 10 m high, it bears fragrant white flowers at any time of year but particularly summer...
. After hatching, the larva is attended by A. itinerans which is thought to offer the larva predator protection and receive nutritional secretions from the larva.
The Bathurst Copper Butterfly is considered endangered in NSW and is listed on
Schedule 1 of the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (TSC Act). The
Bathurst Copper Butterfly is also listed nationally as a vulnerable species under
section 178 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
(EPBC Act).
Current threats to the Bathurst Copper Butterfly include clearing and development, weed invasion, grazing, and changes in controlled burn procedures.