Lycaena dorcas
Encyclopedia
The Dorcas Copper or Cinquefoil Copper (Lycaena dorcas) is a species of Lycaeninae
that occurs in North America
. The species L. dospassosi was once considered the same as L. dorcas.
. Their hindwings have red-orange spots on the border. The underside is brown with a slight orange tint. The wingspan for this particular species is 2.5–3.2 cm (0.984251968503937–1.3 in).
and south to Washington in the west and the Great Lakes region
in the east, there is an isolated population in Maine
. Within this range they are found within bogs and old overgrown fields.
Larval foods
Lycaeninae
Lycaeninae, the coppers, are a subfamily of the gossamer-winged butterflies .The relationships of the Lycaenidae are not fully resolved. Sometimes the Polyommatinae and Theclinae are included in the Lycaeninae; in particular the Theclinae tribe Eumaeini contains many similar taxa...
that occurs in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. The species L. dospassosi was once considered the same as L. dorcas.
Description
The top side is brown, males have a blueish-purple iridescence while females tend to just have a few lighter areas. Because of the males coloration they can often be mistaken for L. helloidesLycaena helloides
The Purplish Copper is a butterfly of the Lycaenidae family. It is found from Great Lakes area to British Columbia, south to Baja California....
. Their hindwings have red-orange spots on the border. The underside is brown with a slight orange tint. The wingspan for this particular species is 2.5–3.2 cm (0.984251968503937–1.3 in).
Range and habitat
L. dorcas is seen as far north as boreal AlaskaAlaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
and south to Washington in the west and the Great Lakes region
Great Lakes region (North America)
The Great Lakes region of North America, occasionally known as the Third Coast or the Fresh Coast , includes the eight U.S. states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin as well as the Canadian province of Ontario...
in the east, there is an isolated population in Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
. Within this range they are found within bogs and old overgrown fields.
Adult
Between June and September there is one flight, during that flight males stay near the host plants scouting out females. The females will then lay eggs singly on the underside of the plant. The eggs will drop with the autumn leaflets and then overwinter. During the spring the caterpillars hatch and must refind their ways back to the host plant to feed.Immature
The caterpillar tends to be pale green with a single dark green drosal line in addition to faint white oblique bands, while the egg itself is white.Larval foods
- Potentilla fruticosa
- RumexRumexThe docks and sorrels, genus Rumex L., are a genus of about 200 species of annual, biennial and perennial herbs in the buckwheat family Polygonaceae....
- PolygonumPolygonumPolygonum is a genus in the Polygonaceae family. Common names include knotweed, knotgrass, bistort, tear-thumb, mile-a-minute, and several others. In the Middle English glossary of herbs "Alphita" , it was known as ars-smerte. There have been various opinions about how broadly the genus should be...