Lycaena dorcas

Dorcas Copper
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Lycaenidae
Genus:	Lycaena
Species:	L. dorcas
Binomial name
Lycaena dorcas (Kirby, 1837)

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.

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. helloides. 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 (0.98–1.3 in).

Range and habitat

L. dorcas is seen as far north as boreal Alaska 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.

Life cycle

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
• Rumex
• Polygonum

References

• "Lycaena". http://www.nic.funet.fi/pub/sci/bio/life/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/papilionoidea/lycaenidae/lycaeninae/lycaena/index.html#dorcas. Retrieved 2009-01-17. 
• "Species Lycaena dorcas - Dorcas Copper - BugGuide.Net". http://bugguide.net/node/view/9673. Retrieved 2009-01-17. 
• "Entomology Collection > Lycaena dorcas". http://www.entomology.ualberta.ca/searching_species_details.php?c=8&rnd=23113315&s=2621. Retrieved 2009-01-17. 
• "Species Detail Butterflies and Moths of North America". http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species?l=1473. Retrieved 2009-01-17. 
• Kaufman, Kenn; Brock, Jim P. (2003). "Gossamer-winged Butterflies". Kaufman Field Guide to Butterflies of North America. Houghton Mifflin Books. p. 84. ISBN 978-0-618-76826-4.