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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Butterflies and Skippers (Papilionoidea) » Blues, Coppers, Hairstreaks, Harvesters (Lycaenidae) » Coppers (Lycaeninae)

Subfamily Lycaeninae - Coppers

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Numbers · Range · Food
Salt Marsh Copper - Lycaena dospassosi - female American Copper - Lycaena phlaeas - female Bronze Copper - Lycaena hyllus Unknown butterfly - Lycaena gorgon Blue Copper - Lycaena heteronea - male Bronze Copper - Lycaena hyllus Lycaena nivalis - female Lycaena rubida - female
Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily Papilionoidea (Butterflies and Skippers)
Family Lycaenidae (Blues, Coppers, Hairstreaks, Harvesters)
Subfamily Lycaeninae (Coppers)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Often considered as a tribe - "Lycaenini" under a broader concept of subfamily Lycaeninae, which also incudes Blues and Hairstreaks (and others) as just tribes.
Numbers
Only one genus is represented in North America north of Mexico - Lycaena, with approximately four or more additional occuring in other regions.
Range
Nearly world-wide, mostly in boreal, temperate, or montane regions; not in South America or Australia (but present in Papua New Guinea and New Zealand).
Food
Primarily members of family Polygonaceae, including genera Rumex, Oxyria, Polygonum, Eriogonum, Muehlenbeckia, etc. Occasionally other families such as Rosaceae (Dasiphora, Potentilla), Ericaceae (Vaccinium), and Fabaceae (Cytisus).
Contributed by Joel Kits on 10 March, 2005 - 10:33pm
Additional contributions by David Ferguson
Last updated 10 May, 2013 - 7:21pm

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