Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas)
2009 photos highlighted in yellow. Click on any photo to go to an enlarged picture, or simply scroll down the page.
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| 10088_female_Var_26Apr08 | 10079_female_Var_26Apr08 | 14035_female_Var_28Aug08 |
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| 15563_sex?_Var_29May09 |
A charming little butterfly, quite easy to miss. It is the only representative of the coppers in the UK, and not necessarily common in France. It seems to be quite variable, with varying length of tails, sometimes as long as some hairstreaks, and occasionally with blue uph post-discal spots. In Var it appears very early in the year and disappears in high summer to return later in the year when it holds on well into the Autumn.
10088: a female, based on wing shape, the uph red marginal band seems quite wide to me, and there are a few just-visible blue scales. The "tail" is virtually non-existent. Altitude 780m.
10079: a female, the underside of 10088. Altitude 780m.
14035: a female, I suspect, as the wing shape is quite rounded at the anal angle, even though strongly scalloped. The unh marginal band is very strongly rust-coloured. Altitude 780m.
15563: possibly a male based on the hindwing square shape at the anal angle. The unf black spots are ringed white, making them stand out. Altitude 185m.
