Mariposa Copper

Tharsalea mariposa

The Mariposa Copper is a beautiful butterfly with bright orange and black wings. It flutters around flowers and loves sunny spots, making it a delightful sight in nature.

Lebensraum: Meadows

Aussehen

The Mariposa Copper is a small butterfly with brilliant, iridescent coppery-orange upperwings, often marked with dark spots. Its hindwings can be dusky with a subtle dark band, while the undersides are typically duller gray or tan for camouflage, helping it blend into its environment.

ReichAnimaliaStammArthropodaKlasseInsectaOrdnungLepidopteraFamilieLycaenidaeGattungTharsalea

Mariposa Copper

Kategorie

Insekten

Seltenheit

Common

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Snaps

Mach den ersten Snap!

Interessante Fakten

Baby Mariposa Coppers look like tiny green slugs, not fuzzy caterpillars, as they munch on leaves.

Its shiny wings often flash brilliant copper, making it look like a flying penny in the sun!

These butterflies sometimes gather in damp spots to drink important minerals from the soil, a behavior called 'puddling.'

Unlike many butterflies, male Mariposa Coppers are very territorial and will chase other insects out of their space!

Besondere Fähigkeiten

Mariposa Copper can drink sweet flower nectar using a long, straw-like mouthpart (proboscis), reaching deep into blossoms for energy.

Mariposa Copper has duller underside wings that blend perfectly with dried leaves and bark when resting, helping them hide.

Mariposa Copper has dark body parts that absorb sunlight, helping them warm up quickly for flight on cool mountain mornings.

Maße und Details

Flügelspannweite: 25-35 mm
Größe: 10-15 mm
Lebenserwartung: 15-30 Tage
Fluggeschwindigkeit: 10 km/h
Anzahl der Beine: 6

Ernährung und Fütterung

Adults sip flower nectar for energy; caterpillars munch on specific plant leaves to grow.

Altersunterschiede: Larvae eat the leaves of cinquefoil plants; adults drink nectar from various flowering plants.

Hauptnahrung

Flower Nectar
Cinquefoil Leaves (Potentilla spp.)

Nahrungssuche

Foraging

Ökologische Zusammenhänge

depends on

Slender Cinquefoil

Potentilla gracilis

Its larvae feed exclusively on the leaves of this host plant.

pollinates

Canada Goldenrod

Solidago canadensis

Adult butterflies visit its flowers, drinking nectar and transferring pollen.

eaten by

Steller's Jay

Cyanocitta stelleri

Birds like this one are generalist predators of adult butterflies.

Merkmale

Sozial

Soziale Tiere leben in organisierten Gruppen und kooperieren, um ihr Überleben zu sichern, beispielsweise bei der Nahrungssuche, Verteidigung und Aufzucht der Jungen.