# Small Copper

*Lycaena phlaeas*

Male Small Coppers are intensely territorial; they will fearlessly dart out to chase away invading insects many times their size, including large bumblebees and darter dragonflies.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Lepidoptera › Lycaenidae › Lycaena
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** grassland
- **Habitat:** Chalk grasslands, heathlands, road verges, waste ground, and sunny meadows.
- **Diet:** Adults drink nectar from wild flowers like ragwort, fleabane, and yarrow; caterpillars feed on sorrel and dock leaves.
- **Range:** Europe, Asia, North America, North Africa
- **Size:** Wingspan of 22 to 27 mm
- **Lifespan:** 2 to 3 weeks as an adult
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Habitat loss from intensive agriculture, urbanization, and scrub encroachment shading out host plants.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless. You can safely observe this vibrant butterfly from just a few inches away as it basks on warm stones or flowers. If one lands on you, remain still to admire its metallic orange wings. No medical precautions are necessary.

## About

Lycaena phlaeas , the small copper , American copper , or common copper , is a butterfly of the Lycaenids or gossamer-winged butterfly family. According to Guppy and Shepard (2001), its specific name phlaeas is said to be derived either from the Greek phlego , "to burn up" or from the Latin floreo , "to flourish".

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/3526c8b4-7680-4fef-b2a1-bfe8a310f6b5
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/55655
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycaena phlaeas
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/6546383/medium.jpg (Gilles San Martin, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.