Green Nature

Purplish Copper Butterfly

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picture of a male purplish copper butterfly

Copper butterflies belong to a subfamily of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae, the same family that includes blues and hairstreaks.

As the name suggests, most are an orange or copper shade, although there are some exceptions.

The Purplish Copper (Lycaena helloides) is a very common species throughout the West. It can be found in both low and high elevations, usually on or close to the ground.

picture of a female purplish copper butterflyMales like the one on the top, have less black marks on the top of the wings, compared to females.

Often both sides of their wings (top and bottom) have a purple sheen.

There is also a characteristic row of orange spots along the bottom of the wings.

Females also can have a purplish tint on their wings. Generally their wings tend to be more orange in color than the male's wings. The second picture of the female shows a nice wing color contrast compared to the male in the first picture.

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