North American Butterflies and Moths List

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Butterflies of North America

Butterflies of New York

Bog Copper (Lycaena epixanthe)
JPG -- species photo

Bog Copper (Lycaena epixanthe [Boisduval & LeConte])

Wing span: 7/8 - 1 inch (2.2 - 2.5 cm).

Identification: Upperside of male brownish with purple iridescence; female dull gray-brown. Underside of both sexes white or pale tan; hindwing with very small black spots and red zigzag border on outer margin.

Life history: Males perch on low plants to watch for females. Eggs are laid singly at base of host plant; caterpillars feed on shoots and leaves. First-stage caterpillars overwinter in their eggs, often underwater.

Flight: One flight from June-September.

Caterpillar hosts: Shrubby cranberries in the heath family (Ericaceae).

Adult food: Water from raindrops and nectar from cranberry flowers.

Habitat: Acid bogs with cranberries and other Ericaceae.

Range: Maine south to New Jersey and West Virginia; west through northern Great Lake states and Ontario.

Conservation: Habitat is sensitive and subject to draining or conversion to commercial use.

The Nature Conservancy Global Rank: G4 - Apparently secure globally, though it might be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.

Management needs: Conserve habitats of known populations.

References:


Opler, P. A. and V. Malikul. 1992. A field guide to eastern  butterflies. Peterson 

    field guide #4. Houghton-Mifflin Co.,  Boston. 396 pages, 48 color plates.



Scott, J. A. 1986. The butterflies of North America. Stanford  University Press, 

    Stanford, Calif. 583 pages, 64 color plates.

Author: Jane M. Struttmann

State and Regional References:


Cech, R. 1993.  A Distributional Checklist of the Butterflies and Skippers of 

     the New York City Area (50-mile Radius) and Long Island.  New York City 

     Butterfly Club Special Publication.  27 pp.



Forbes, W.T.M.  1960.  Lepidoptera of New York and Neighboring States.  Part 

     IV: Agaristidae through Nymphalidae Including Butterflies.  Cornell Univ. 

     Agricultural Experimental Station, Ithaca, N.Y.  Memoir 371.  188 pp.



Glassberg,  J.  1993.  Butterflies Through Binoculars: A Field Guide to 

     Butterflies in the Boston-New York-Washington Region.  Oxford Univ. Press, 

     New York, N.Y.  160 pp. 



Klass, C. and Dirig, R.  1992.  Learning about Butterflies.  Cornell Cooperative 

     Extension Publication, 4-H Member/Leader Guide 139-M-9.  Ithaca, N.Y.  

     36 pp.



Layberry, R.A., Hall, P.W. & Lafontaine, D.J., 1998.  The Butterflies of 

     Canada.  University of Toronto Press, Toronto, ON.  280 pp.

     

Opler, P.A. 1998. A field guide to eastern butterflies, revised format.

     Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston.      



Shapiro, A.M.  1974.  Butterflies and Skippers of New York State.  Cornell Univ.

     Agricultural Experimental Station, Ithaca, N.Y.  Search 4:1-60.   

Bog Copper (Lycaena epixanthe)
distribution map
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