Lycaena arota

Tailed Copper
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Lycaena
Species: L. arota
Binomial name
Lycaena arota
(Boisduval, 1852)[1]
Synonyms
  • Polyommatus arota Boisduval, 1852
  • Tharsalea arota

The Tailed Copper (Lycaena arota) is a butterfly of the Lycaenidae family. It is found from New Mexico north and west to Oregon, south to southern California and Baja California.[2]

The average wingspan ranges from 30–35 mm. Each hindwing has a tail. The upper surface of the males is copper-brown with an iridescent purple sheen. The upperside of the females has an orange and dark brown pattern. The underside of both males and females is grey, with black spots on the forewings and a band of white crescents on the hindwings. Adults are on wing from May to August in one generation per year. They feed on flower nectar.

The larvae feed on the leaves of Ribes species. The species overwinters as an egg.

Subspecies

References

  1. Lycaena at funet.fi
  2. Tailed Copper, Butterflies and Moths of North America


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