Lycaena epixanthe
Encyclopedia
The Bog Copper or Cranberry-Bog Copper (Lycaena epixanthe (=Epidemia epixanthe)) is a North America
n butterfly
in the family Lycaenidae
. Adults like to sip drops of dew clinging to leaves and almost exclusively nectar on their host plant, Cranberries. Because of this, Bog Coppers will spend their entire lives within the area of a single acid bog. Even though their flight is weak and close to the ground, Bog Coppers are hard to catch because of the habitat in which they live in. Also, 85% of the Bog Coppers life span is spent in the egg.
copper. The upper side of the males wings is dark gray-brown with a purplish sheen (it glows under UV light
very strongly). The male has very few black basal spots on the fore wing. The hind wing outer margin has orange markings. The upper side of the females wings is very similar to the males except the female has a lighter purplish iridescence. The underside of the wings in both sexes varies from whitish-gray to yellowish-tan. The wingspan measures ⅞ to 1 inch.
) and the Dorcas Copper (Lycaena dorcas
).
The Purplish Copper is larger, the female has a lot of orange on the upper side, and both sexes have a conspicuous orange submarginal line on the upper side of the hind wing.
The Dorcas is larger, the male has more black spots on the upper side, the female has more orange on the upper side, and the underside of the wings is pinkish-brown or tan with a red-orange hind wing submarginal line.
, mid-June to early July in New Jersey
, and mid-June to mid-August in Maine
).
s singly on the underside of host plant leaves a few inches above the bog surface. The whitish egg can withstand flooding. The larva
is bluish-green with a darker green middorsal stripe. The Bog Copper larva is the only copper that feeds on Cranberries. The chrysalis is pale yellow-green to green with brown and white markings. Rarely, the chrysalis can be solid dark purple. The egg overwinters, usually under water with the larva fully developed inside. It has 1 brood
per year.
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n butterfly
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
in the family Lycaenidae
Lycaenidae
The Lycaenidae are the second-largest family of butterflies, with about 6000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies...
. Adults like to sip drops of dew clinging to leaves and almost exclusively nectar on their host plant, Cranberries. Because of this, Bog Coppers will spend their entire lives within the area of a single acid bog. Even though their flight is weak and close to the ground, Bog Coppers are hard to catch because of the habitat in which they live in. Also, 85% of the Bog Coppers life span is spent in the egg.
Description
The Bog Copper is the smallest U.S.United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
copper. The upper side of the males wings is dark gray-brown with a purplish sheen (it glows under UV light
Ultraviolet
Ultraviolet light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays, in the range 10 nm to 400 nm, and energies from 3 eV to 124 eV...
very strongly). The male has very few black basal spots on the fore wing. The hind wing outer margin has orange markings. The upper side of the females wings is very similar to the males except the female has a lighter purplish iridescence. The underside of the wings in both sexes varies from whitish-gray to yellowish-tan. The wingspan measures ⅞ to 1 inch.
Similar species
Similar species in the Bog Copper's range include the Purplish Copper (Lycaena helloidesLycaena helloides
The Purplish Copper is a butterfly of the Lycaenidae family. It is found from Great Lakes area to British Columbia, south to Baja California....
) and the Dorcas Copper (Lycaena dorcas
Lycaena dorcas
The Dorcas Copper or Cinquefoil Copper is a species of Lycaeninae that occurs in North America. The species L. dospassosi was once considered the same as L. dorcas.- Description :...
).
The Purplish Copper is larger, the female has a lot of orange on the upper side, and both sexes have a conspicuous orange submarginal line on the upper side of the hind wing.
The Dorcas is larger, the male has more black spots on the upper side, the female has more orange on the upper side, and the underside of the wings is pinkish-brown or tan with a red-orange hind wing submarginal line.
Habitat
The only habitat in which Bog Coppers occur are acid bogs with cranberries. Thus conservation of acid bog habitats is essential for this butterfly.Flight
This species is on the wing mostly from late June to early August (mid-June to mid-July near OttawaOttawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, mid-June to early July in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, and mid-June to mid-August in Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
).
Life cycle
Males perch on low foliage (usually cranberry) all day from 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. to await females. If a male sees a female passing by, he will pursue her. When she lands, the male will land behind her, vibrate his wings, and then they will mate. If the female has already mated or does not want to mate, she will vibrate her wings and then the male will leave. Females lay their eggEgg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
s singly on the underside of host plant leaves a few inches above the bog surface. The whitish egg can withstand flooding. The larva
Caterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
is bluish-green with a darker green middorsal stripe. The Bog Copper larva is the only copper that feeds on Cranberries. The chrysalis is pale yellow-green to green with brown and white markings. Rarely, the chrysalis can be solid dark purple. The egg overwinters, usually under water with the larva fully developed inside. It has 1 brood
Offspring
In biology, offspring is the product of reproduction, of a new organism produced by one or more parents.Collective offspring may be known as a brood or progeny in a more general way...
per year.
Host plants
Here is a list of host plants used by the Bog Copper:- Large Cranberry, Vaccinium microcarpa
- Small Cranberry, Vaccinium oxycoccos