Scarce Copper

lycaena virgaureae

The Scarce Copper (Lycaena virgaureae) is a stunningly vibrant butterfly belonging to the family Lycaenidae. Known for the brilliant, glowing coppery-orange color of the male's upper wings, this species is a jewel of palearctic meadows and forest edges. Despite its name, it can be locally abundant in undisturbed, flower-rich habitats across Europe and parts of Asia, though land development and intensive agriculture have led to declines in some regions. These butterflies are highly active during warm, sunny days, frequently visiting nectar-rich yellow and white flowers. They undergo a single generation per year, overwintering as eggs before emerging as caterpillar larvae in the spring to feed on sorrel plants.

生息地: Found in flower-rich dry or damp meadows, woodland clearings, and sunny hillsides, often closely associated with host sorrel plants.

外見

The Scarce Copper is a small to medium-sized butterfly with a wingspan of 3 to 4 cm. Sexual dimorphism is highly pronounced: males possess brilliant, unspotted, glowing coppery-red or orange upper wings with a very thin, clean black outer border. In contrast, females are less luminous, featuring golden-orange upper wings heavily patterned with rows of dark brown or black spots. The undersides of both sexes are similar, presenting a pale orange-yellow to brownish hue adorned with small black spots and a characteristic submarginal row of tiny white patches on the hindwing.

界Animalia門Arthropoda綱Insecta目Lepidoptera科Lycaenidae属Lycaena

Scarce Copper

カテゴリ

昆虫

レア度

Common

危険度

1/5 · 非常に低い

スナップ

最初にスナップしよう！

おもしろい事実

Female Scarce Coppers deliberately lay their eggs near the base of withered host plants, ensuring the emerging spring larvae are close to newly sprouting sorrel leaves.

The species name 'virgaureae' refers to European Goldenrod (Solidago virgaurea), which is one of the adult butterflies' favorite nectar sources, rather than the caterpillar's host plant.

While most copper butterflies have dark spots on their upper wings, the male Scarce Copper is unique for having entirely spotless, pure orange-red upper wings.

特殊能力

Utilizes its highly reflective copper wings to bask in the sun at precise angles, rapidly warming up its thoracic flight muscles on cool mornings.

Males establish and fiercely guard small sunny perches, darting out to drive away rival males and other insect intruders.

Produces eggs with a thick, insulated chorion shell, allowing them to safely survive freezing winter temperatures on dry stems.

サイズと詳細

長さ: 1+ cm
翼開長: 3+ cm
体重: 0.0001+ kg
寿命: 1+ 年
Top Speed: 12 km/h
一度の産卵数: 40+
抱卵期間: 180+ 日

食性と食事

Caterpillars feed exclusively on the foliage of sorrel plants, while adult butterflies feed on the nectar of various flowering plants, especially white and yellow composites.

年齢による違い: Larvae chew and feed strictly on the leaves of host Rumex plants, whereas adults drink liquid nectar using a sucking proboscis.

主な食物

Common Sorrel (Rumex acetosa)
Sheep's Sorrel (Rumex acetosella)
Goldenrod (Solidago virgaurea)
Wild Carrot (Daucus carota)
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

採餌方法

Grazing

生態系とのつながり

host plant

Common Sorrel

Rumex acetosa

The primary larval host plant, providing essential nutrition to the growing caterpillars.

eaten by

Eurasian Blue Tit

Cyanistes caeruleus

Preyed upon by small insectivorous birds during the adult butterfly stage.

parasite

Ichneumon Wasp

Ichneumon suspiciosus

Larvae are occasionally parasitized by specialized parasitoid wasps.

特徴

このオブジェクトにはまだ特徴バッジが割り当てられていません。

別名

まだ別名はありません。

コレクション

テーマが追加されると、このオブジェクトのコレクションがここに表示されます。

安全性

危険度

1/5 · 非常に低い

まだ特別な安全上の注意はありません。

よくある質問

Scarce Copperを見分けるには？

Scarce Copperを識別する最も簡単な方法は、Snappit自然識別アプリを使用することです。

Scarce Copperの長さは何ですか？

1+ cm

Scarce Copperの翼開長は何ですか？

3+ cm

Scarce Copperの体重は何ですか？

0.0001+ kg

Scarce Copperの寿命は何ですか？

1+ 年

Scarce Copperのtop Speedは何ですか？

12 km/h

Scarce Copperは何を食べますか？

Caterpillars feed exclusively on the foliage of sorrel plants, while adult butterflies feed on the nectar of various flowering plants, especially white and yellow composites.

Scarce Copperは通常どこに生息していますか？

Found in flower-rich dry or damp meadows, woodland clearings, and sunny hillsides, often closely associated with host sorrel plants.