Large Copper (Lycaena dispar) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

The large copper is a bright orange butterfly of European and Asian wetlands that you won't find in North America. It's best known as a conservation story: draining the fens of eastern England wiped it out there by the 1860s, and repeated attempts to bring it back never took hold.

Appearance

Appearance: Wingspan about 1.7–2 in (44–52 mm). Males are a shining orange above with only a thin black edge and white fringe. Females have a wide dark brown border and a row of dark spots on the forewing. Underneath, the hindwing is silvery blue-gray with black dots and an orange band near the edge.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: Wet meadows
Fens and marshes
Riverbanks
Range: Temperate Europe and Asia, including Korea, mostly between about 40° and 60° N. It does not occur in the United States.
Preferred conditions: It depends on damp, open places where docks grow, such as wet grassland, fens, and floodplains.

Behavior

Activity: Most European populations have two broods, flying in May–June and again from late July to early September. Northern populations have just one, while warmer areas may get a partial third.
Overwintering: Half-grown caterpillars spend the winter resting, triggered by cooler temperatures and shorter days.

Life cycle

Caterpillar food plants: Caterpillars feed on docks (Rumex), mainly curly dock, water dock, and broad-leaved dock.

Name and classification

About the name: Several subspecies are recognized. The original English one (L. d. dispar) is extinct; the Dutch subspecies (L. d. batava) looks nearly the same and was used in British reintroduction attempts.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: NTNear ThreatenedCould become threatened before long
Status: Declines come mainly from wetland drainage and mowing during the breeding season. It is protected in Europe under the Bern Convention and the EU Habitats Directive.