Know your Butterflies: Coppers, Lycaeninae The second largest group of butterflies are the Lycaenids or the Gossamer-winged butterflies with more than 4000 species world-wide. In this group there are the Hairstreaks, Blues and Coppers which are easily recognizable because of their distinct wings. The Blues are obviously blue and beyond that, the observer may be puzzled regarding the identity of the insect. Hairstreaks are known for their white streaks that appear on the underwing which identify them and the Coppers are the gloriously flamboyant of the Lycanidae in their flame orange and fiery red wings flashing through the air. The Lycaenids are sedentary butterflies, very tightly associated to one area. Many of the Lycaenids are myrmecophiles as their larvae that attract ants which tend them in return for the sugary honeydew they exude from special glands. In return, the ants protect them through the larval stages from predators. It can take more than 10 years for a species to migrate 50 meters, so it isn't like they can pack their baggage and hop to the next town via train link. Once their land is disturbed or mown, they vanish because the larvae is selectively dependent on few plant varieties. It's not just the plant, but also the height of a plant, because the Large Copper, Lycaena dispar is attracted to tall plants over short ones which may have to do with the amount of eggs that can be laid.
Transcript
Know your Butterflies: Coppers, Lycaeninae
The second largest group of butterflies are the Lycaenids or the Gossamer-winged butterflies with more than 4000 species world-wide.
In this group there are the Hairstreaks, Blues and Coppers which are easily recognizable because of their distinct wings. The Blues are obviously blue and beyond that, the observer may be puzzled regarding the identity of the insect. Hairstreaks are known for their white streaks that appear on the underwing which identify them and the Coppers are the gloriously flamboyant of the Lycanidae in their flame orange and fiery red wings flashing through the air.
The Lycaenids are sedentary butterflies, very tightly associated to one area. Many of the Lycaenids are myrmecophiles as their larvae that attract ants which tend them in return for the sugary honeydew they exude from special glands. In return, the ants protect them through the larval stages from predators. It can take more than 10 years for a species to migrate 50 meters, so it isn't like they can pack their baggage and hop to the next town via train link. Once their land is disturbed or mown, they vanish because the larvae is selectively dependent on few plant varieties. It's not just the plant, but also the height of a plant, because the Large Copper, Lycaena dispar is attracted to tall plants over short ones which may have to do with the amount of eggs that can be laid.
Scarce Large Blue, Phengaris teleius
In the Phengaris family of Lycaenids, often the butterflies will not lay more than one egg a plant and will not lay eggs on plants which other butterflies have used for oviposition. This may be related to the survival rate as phengaris are myrmecophiles and a single larvae may have greater chance at adoption by passing ant than if there is competition between five larvae and two ants.
What we assumed we knew from picture books is a false impression of butterfly ecology because it is very complicated world that they live in with threats of industrial agriculture, pesticides, industrial mowing, urban development and land devastation. Stripping the verges and making nicely mown highway edges or pretty lawns isn't good for butterfly survival as they need uncut grasslands, abandoned railways, uncut embankments and verges where wildflowers grow undisturbed.
Coppers/ Lycaeninae
Scarce Copper, Lycaena virgaureae Host plants for the copper are limited to Sorrel, Rumex species. The adult butterflies have far larger diet which includes Tall Fleabane, Tansy, Dandelions, Hawkweeds, Scabious, Knautia, Succisa, Asters, Daisies and a wide range of what are called weeds.
Coppers flourish on chalk and limestone soils, scrubland and wasteland and sandy soils. If it seems like a wasteland with Tall Fleabane waving in the breeze, then perhaps there are Coppers nearby. Studies in Vienna show that coppers can flourish successfully so long as the vacant lots and scrublands are left undisturbed and unmown.
Of the Lycanidae, there are only a few Coppers which are sedentary butterflies. If you see it, wait, because it will come back. Of the European butterflies, the Large Copper is absent from England, but has unsuccessfully been reintroduced as a recovery project. Because the Coppers are sedentary and do not fly very far from their larval site, they are threatened by land disturbance.
Many species only live in small colonies of 30 insects or less; others are solitary, but as Coopers are unable to fly over short gaps for effective mating and species survival.
Coppers, Lycaeninae
Coppers, Lycaeninae
Large Copper, Lycaena dispar The Large Copper, Lycaena dispar is noted for its
association with ants as its larvae secretes
honeydew which attracts Myrmica rubra and Lasius niger. However, other Coppers are only known for
casual interactions with ants and not for obligate
myrmecophily.
The Small Copper, Lycaena phaeas, is also known as
the Common or American Copper because it is
widespread across the Northern Hemisphere in North
America, Europe and Eurasia.
As Lycaenids are not migratory, they are found in
small local pockets and therefore face more dangers
and threats than other species as they are not able to
move with the global climate changes. The one
exception is the Sooty Copper, Lycaena tityrus which
Habitat: wet grasslands, fens, tall grasses and plants. Prefers the tallest grasses for egg-laying, number of eggs is thought to be realated to amount of leaves available on the dock plants.
Myrmecophile: attended by Myrmica rubra and Lasius niger. Larvae emits secretions that attracts the attention and protection of ants. Fiedler 1990, Systematic, evolutionary and ecological omplications of myrmecophily within the Lycaenidae.
Threats: mowing, agriculture. Mowing should not be dome more than every 2-3 years. Prefers tall grass and uncut meadows. Sedentary. Tanks and oversized 4wheel vehicles such as a Hummer or recreational decommissioned military tanks.
Large Copper, Lycaena disbar/ Biolib.cz http://www.biolib.cz/en/taxon/id51373/ Butterflies of Europe and North Africa http://www.leps.it/indexjs.htm?SpeciesPages/LycaeDispa.htm Large Copper, Lycaena dispar/ UK Butterflies http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species.php?species=dispar#.U6QB6OaAKSH Large Copper, Lycaena dispar/ Butterflies of Europe http://www.lepidoptera.eu/show.php?ID=131&country=XX Large Copper, Lycaena dispar/ IUCN Red List http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/12433/0 Large Copper, Lycaena dispar/ Fauna Europaea http://www.faunaeur.org/full_results.php?id=441190 Large Copper, Lycaena dispar// EOL.org http://eol.org/pages/265242/overview
Spread across North America and throughout Europe and Asia.
Small Copper, Lycaena phlaeas
Small Copper, Lycaenae phlaeas/ UK Butterflies http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species.php?species=phlaeas Small Copper, Lycaenae phlaeas / Euiropean Butterflies and Moths http://www.lepidoptera.eu/show.php?ID=134&country=XX Small Copper, Lycaenae phlaeas / Biolib.cz http://www.biolib.cz/en/taxon/id51371/ Small Copper, Lycaenae phleaes/ Moths and Butterflies of Europe and North Africa http://www.leps.it/indexjs.htm?SpeciesPages/LycaenPhlaeas.htm Small Copper, Lycaena phlaeas/ Fauna Europaea http://www.faunaeur.org/full_results.php?id=441185 Small Copper, Lycaena phlaeas/ EOL.org http://eol.org/pages/262721/overview Small Copper, Lycaenae phleaes/ Learn About Butterflies http://www.learnaboutbutterflies.com/Britain%20-%20Lycaena%20phlaeas.htm
Habitat: fallow land, dry meadows, railway tracks embankments and verges
Predator parastite: Ichneuman erxtensorius
Life: 2- 3 generations a year. Flight May-mid July with 2nd generation July-September. In the last 10-20 years, the Sooty Copper has lost about 90% of its habitat in Europe due to land development, intensive agriculture and sprawling urban development.
