Lycaena dione

Grey Copper
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Lycaena
Species: L. dione
Binomial name
Lycaena dione
(Scudder, 1868)[1]
Synonyms
  • Chrysophanus dione Scudder, 1868
  • Gaeides dione

The Grey Copper or Great Copper (Lycaena dione) is a butterfly of the Lycaenidae family. It is found from the southern Prairie Provinces of Canada and western Ontario south to Texas and east to Illinois and Missouri. There is a disjunct population in southern British Columbia.[2]

The wingspan is 24–38 mm. Adults are on wing from mid June to July or August. They feed on the nectar of Cirsium, Medicago sativa, and Melilotus species.

The larvae feed on Rumex crispus and Rumex occidentalis.

Taxonomy

Lycaena dione is sometimes treated as a subspecies of Lycaena xanthoides.[3]

References