Common NameEdith's CopperSeasonalityFlies from late June into August in the Rocky Mountain states (Ferris & Brown 1981).IdentificationThis is one of only two coppers in the province that have a predominantly grey upperside; the other large, grey copper is the Grey (L. dione); Edith's has irregularly-shaped underside spots, giving it a splotchy appearance, while the Grey has spots which are more rounded. The marginal orange band in Edith's is indistinct, compared to slightly broader and brighter in L. dione. Edith's was once considered a subspecies of the Grey, but most people now treat these two as separate species.
Scientific NameLycaena edithaCommon Name
Edith's Copper
Habitat
Unknown in AB; likely to inhabit moist montane meadows.
Seasonality
Flies from late June into August in the Rocky Mountain states (Ferris & Brown 1981).
Identification
This is one of only two coppers in the province that have a predominantly grey upperside; the other large, grey copper is the Grey (L. dione); Edith's has irregularly-shaped underside spots, giving it a splotchy…
This is one of only two coppers in the province that have a predominantly grey upperside; the other large, grey copper is the Grey (L. dione); Edith's has irregularly-shaped underside spots, giving it a splotchy appearance, while the Grey has spots which are more rounded. The marginal orange band in Edith's is indistinct, compared to slightly broader and brighter in L. dione. Edith's was once considered a subspecies of the Grey, but most people now treat these two as separate species.
Life History
The life history is incompletely known, and descriptions of the immature stages are not available.
Conservation
The status of L. editha populations in Alberta is unknown.
Diet Info
Larvae feed on species of docks (Rumex spp.) in the Pacific Northwest (Pyle 2002).
Range
Northeastern California, central Oregon and southeastern Washington east to Montana and south to Colorado. Known in Canada from a single specimen collected by Thomas Baird near High River, AB in the early 1900s…
Northeastern California, central Oregon and southeastern Washington east to Montana and south to Colorado. Known in Canada from a single specimen collected by Thomas Baird near High River, AB in the early 1900s (Anweiler & Schmidt, in prep.).
Citation
Page Citation for Lycaena editha
Page Citation
"Species Details - Lycaena editha, University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum." University of Alberta Museums Search Site, https://search.museums.ualberta.ca/g/2-2622. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
References
AuthorOpler, Paul A.
TitleA field guide to western butterflies.
Publication Date1999
Pages540
AuthorPyle, R. M.
TitleButterflies of Cascadia
Publication Date2002
AuthorFerris, C. and F. M. Brown
TitleButterflies of the Rocky Mountain States
Publication Date1981
Pages442
Specimen Information
There is 1 specimen of this Species.
1 result plotted on map in 1 marker. Note: Only records with latitude and longitude coordinates are plotted on map.