Grecian Copper
Lycaena ottomana (Lefèbvre, [1831])
Status
Description
A largish-small copper coloured butterfly. The upperside of the male is a bright copper colour with a black margin, whilst the female has black spots on both forewing and hindwing, and hindwing is brown with an orange margin. The upperside is similar in both male and female, forewing is pale orange with black spots and a fawn border. The hindwing is fawn coloured with black spots and red spots along the margin. Its larger size and markings distinguish it from L. phlaeas.
Habitat Requirements
Most commonly encountered in damp meadows, with easy access to tall flowers such as White Asphodel Asphodelus albus.
Larval Foodplants
Sheep’s Sorrel Rumex acetosella.
Observations
The brightly coloured males commonly perch on plants like A. albus, from where they take nectar and sit to survey their territories. In the absence of such flowers, they sit on the taller dead vegetation or tall grass, where they await the arrival of females. Males may occupy territories that are very close and perhaps overlapping.
In contrast, females are far less likely to utilise tall vegetation, instead they more commonly bask on low growing foliage. They lay their solitary eggs on debris, such as dead host plant stalks laying on the ground, presumably to expose the ova to high temperatures to encourage their development.
*The information provided in the tables below is based on verified sightings of the Grecian Copper submitted via this website since 1st January 2021.
First and Last Sightings
| Year | First | Last/latest | # Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 19/03/2023 | 03/07/2023 | 106 days |
| 2022 | 01/04/2022 | 04/10/2022 | 186 days |
| 2021 | 02/04/2021 | 25/10/2021 | 206 days |
Number of Observations
| Year | Number of observations |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 61 |
| 2022 | 54 |
| 2021 | 39 |
| Grand Total | 155 |
Distribution Map
Distribution maps for this species are currently unavailable.Flight Times for the Grecian Copper (2023)
The chart below shows flight data by month for 2023 submitted online since 1st January 2023 to 22nd September 2023.
Flight Times for the Grecian Copper (All Data)
The chart below shows flight data by month based on all data submitted online since 1st January 2019 to 22nd September 2023.
Taxonomy
- Vernacular/Common Name: Grecian Copper
- Family: Lycaenidae (Leach, 1815)
- Sub-family: Lycaeninae (Leach, 1815)
- Tribe: Lycaenini (Leach, 1815)
- Genus: Lycaena (Fabricius, 1807)
- Species: ottomana (Lefèbvre, [1831])
References
For a list of references, please see our bibliography page.
