Erikssonia cooksoni
Encyclopedia
The Cookson's Copper is a butterfly
of the Lycaenidae
family. It is found in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Lualaba) and north-western Zambia
. It is found in sparse Miombo woodland with low herbs.
Adults are on wing in September and January. It looks very much like a slow-flying Acraea
, of which it is very likely a Müllerian mimic. Males have a slow, fluttering flight (so mainly the upperside orange is seen) and after a short time settle on twigs, dead grass stems and occasionally elevated ground. They have definite territories and fight off other males that come within the territory: it is only during this fighting that their flight is rapid. They can fly fast if alarmed. Females have a slow, fluttering flight. They flutter through the bush looking for suitable plants on which to oviposit, and if they encounter other flowering herbs, they will stop and feed. The females stop often and sit on dead twigs of herbs. Once the females have located the foodplant, they crawl up and down the plant ovipositing on the leaves, stems and dead twigs.
The larvae feed on Gnidia involucrata.
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...
of 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 found in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Lualaba) and north-western Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
. It is found in sparse Miombo woodland with low herbs.
Adults are on wing in September and January. It looks very much like a slow-flying Acraea
Acraea
Acraea was a name that had several uses in Greek and Roman mythology.*Acraea was a daughter of the river-god Asterion near Mycenae, who together with her sisters Euboea and Prosymna acted as nurses to Hera...
, of which it is very likely a Müllerian mimic. Males have a slow, fluttering flight (so mainly the upperside orange is seen) and after a short time settle on twigs, dead grass stems and occasionally elevated ground. They have definite territories and fight off other males that come within the territory: it is only during this fighting that their flight is rapid. They can fly fast if alarmed. Females have a slow, fluttering flight. They flutter through the bush looking for suitable plants on which to oviposit, and if they encounter other flowering herbs, they will stop and feed. The females stop often and sit on dead twigs of herbs. Once the females have located the foodplant, they crawl up and down the plant ovipositing on the leaves, stems and dead twigs.
The larvae feed on Gnidia involucrata.