Our species profile for this issue is the Purplish Copper, Lycaena helloides. The Purplish Copper belongs to the family Lycaenidae, which includes the Blues; Coppers, Hairstreaks and Metalmarks, a worldwide family with great diversity but generally of only small to medium size. Washington’s seven species of coppers, as the name suggests, are sometimes coppery in color on the dorsal side. The females are often sexually dimorphic (different) from the males. Dorsally the males may be coppery,· blue, bright orange or reflective purple, depending on species. Coppers are typically pale on the ventral size, often with contrasting well-defined spots.           

Lycaena helloides occurs throughout much of North America, including most of Alaska, and south along the west coast to the Mexican border. It also ranges east across southern Canada and the American West and Midwest to the Great Lakes area, but is absent from the far eastern, southeastern and southern states. In Washington, helloides is found in many habitats and in every county. Its habitat includes coastal areas, urban weedy fields, stream sides, valley bottoms, and sagebrush areas to open woodlands at higher elevations.

The duller brown and orange females scatter their eggs on and near their host plants, often tucking eggs out of sight into the large seed heads that top dock and sorrel plants.

The opportunistic nature of the Purplish Copper was demonstrated this past season. I obtained a number of eggs from a gravid female late in the season, after most butterflies had disappeared for the year. About ten of the eggs hatched, and the remaining 50 or so did not, instead going into a diapause state for the winter. Those that hatched fed ravenously on Curly Dock and developed rapidly, pupating and then emerging as very late-season adults. 1bis was a good example of the species hedging its bet against the vagaries of weather and other environmental factors; come fair weather or foul, at least part of the brood would survive.

Like other coppers, the helloides larvae are fairly small and green, with hidden legs giving a slug-like appearance. The Purplish Copper overwinters in the egg stage, but is multiple-brooded, continuing to develop to the adult stage as long as weather permits. The larvae hatch green, and remain green throughqut development. The larvae eat the leaves of the host plants including Polygonurn (knotweed, smartweed), sorrels and docks, also cinquefoils. The chrysalis is brown, rounded, and uses 1 or 2 very fine girdle threads.

Our most widespread copper, helloides is sometimes found in considerable numbers, even at times when other butterflies are scarce, especially late in the summer when its host plants continue to persist.  They are generally unobtrusive and rather easily overlooked, although the bright metallic purple reflection from a fresh male will quickly catch a butterflier’s attention.

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