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Lycaena phlaeas
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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Lycaena
Species: L. phlaeas
The Small Copper, American Copper or the Common Copper, Lycaena phlaeas, is a butterfly of the Lycaenids or Blues family. It is a common and widespread little butterfly easily identifiable in the UK. (There are similar species in continental Europe.)
The upperside forewings are a bright orange with a dark outside edge border and with eight or nine black spots. The hindwings are dark with an orange border. Some females also have a row of blue spots inside the orange border and are known as form caeruleopunctata. The undersides are pattenered in a similar way but are paler. The black spots on the forewings are outlined in yellow and the dark colouring is replaced by a pale brownish, gray. The hindwings are the same brown/grey colour with small black dots and a narrow orange border. The caterpillars (larvae) are usually green, but some have a purple stripe down the middle of the back and along each side.It is widespread and common across Europe, Asia and North America, and also found in North Africa south through Ethiopia.
It can be found almost anywhere in south/central England and Wales although never, it seems, in large numbers. Its distribution becomes more patchy in northern England, Scotland and Ireland.It is found in a wide variety range of habitats from chalk downlands, heathland, woodland clearings to churchyards and waste ground in cities.In bright sun it is a very active little butterfly with the males setting up small territories which they will defend vigorously against rival males or indeed any unlucky passing insect. Even the shadow of a large bird passing overhead is enough to get him going. Females are pursued mercilessly and mating usually occurs low down in vegetation.The eggs are laid singly on the underside of foodplant leaves and the young caterpillar feeds on the underside of the leaf creating "windows" by leaving the upper epidermis of the leaf untouched. Pupation takes place in the leaf litter and the pupa is hought to be tended by ants. There are between two and three broods a year, fewer further north. In exceptionally good years, a fourth broods a year, fewer further north. In exceptionally good years, a fourth brood sometimes occurs in the south and adults can still be seen flying into November. The species overwinters as a caterpillar.
Lycaena phlaeas (Linnaeus 1761) Argo bronzeo.
Descrizione
Licenide dalle ali anteriori rosso-dorate, con fascia marginale scura e macchie nere. Le ali posteriori sono brune con margine posteriore rossiccio e dentellato; portano, inoltre, un abbozzo di appendici caudali. Inferiormente, la livrea è di tonalità fulva con macchie nere orlate di giallo sulle anteriori e colore bruno-grigiastro sulle posteriori, con sparsi piccoli puntini neri.
Biologia
In genere due o tre generazioni, talvolta anche quattro in dipendenza dalle condizioni climatiche. Il bruco, lungo non più di 15 mm, si presenta tozzo e col corpo verde percorso lateralmente da due linee rossastre. Si nutre di Poligonacee (gen. Rumex e Polygonum); quelli dell'ultima generazione svernano e riprendono lo sviluppo e la conseguente ninfosi nella primavera successiva.
Distribuzione ed ecologia
Diffusa con alcune sottospecie dalle regioni orientali nordamericane al Giappone. Quella europea, presente in tutto il continente, oltre che in Nordafrica, è una delle farfalle più comuni, spingendosi dalla pianura ad oltre i 2000 m. Nel territorio la si osserva facilmente nelle radure boschive e nelle campagne coltivate. |
marius-secan, ramthakur, mamcg, pierrefonds has marked this note useful
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Hello Luciano,
A lovely specie with excellent details and good focus. It is a old specimen.
I am waiting for fine weather...
In my region it is raining every day in the last 30 days....Plenty of water on the fields.
Marius.
Though the specimen is worn, it is a well composed shot, Luciano.
I like the curving perch.
Ram
- mamcg
![Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 333 W: 13 N: 91]](https://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-s-g.gif)
(9843) - [2019-06-01 3:06]
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The green back ground turns more contrast and beauty.
Well exposed and composed, beautiful shot.
TFS.
Ciao Luciano, un po' malridotta la farfallina, ma bella la macro, al solito gran qualità con splendidi dettagli, ottima nitidezza e magnifici colori, bravissimo come sempre, oggi finalmente un po' di sole, si va a caccia, buona Domenica Silvio
ciao Luciano
une magnifique composition, avec une belle mise en valeur du papillon sur fond vert et neutre.
Bon dimanche
Roland
Bonjour Luciano,
L'insecte est bien placé dans le cadrage. La prise de vue permet de voir les détails du papillon Cuivré commun. La lumière fait ressortir la beauté des couleurs. Bonne journée.
Pierre
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- PeterZ
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5137 W: 166 N: 13121]](https://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-g-g.gif)
(49139) - [2019-06-03 6:12]
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Hello Luciano,
Beautiful sharp detailed photo of this butterfly. Fantastic sharpness and details. Good DOF and composition too.
Regards,
Peter
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2007 W: 0 N: 5412]](https://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-n-g.gif)
(29598)