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Santa Barbara Field Guides – Butterflies Lepidoptera Lycaenidae Lycaena helloides Purplish Copper |
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Size:
wingspread 1-1.5 in. Recognition: Small; male is purplish-brown with darker wing edges and spots; with row of orange crescents on HW; female is light brown, with black and lighter spots; underside light gray to pale yellow, with black spots, and faint orange crescents at edge of HW. Flight period: Adults are active from March to November. Hostplants: The larvae feed on a few plants in the buckwheat family (Rumex and Polygonum) as well as cinquefoils (Rosaceae). Habitat: They are found along streamsides and wet meadows of low to middle elevations. Distribution: The Purplish Copper occurs over much of the western U.S., extending east in southern Canada and the Midwest states. 
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