Conservation Status
provided by University of Alberta Museums
Not of concern.
- license
- cc-by-nc
- copyright
- University of Alberta Museums
Cyclicity
provided by University of Alberta Museums
Single -brooded, most often encountered between mid July and mid August.
- license
- cc-by-nc
- copyright
- University of Alberta Museums
Distribution
provided by University of Alberta Museums
The Arctic islands south to Wyoming, with an isolated population in the Sierra Nevada of California (Opler 1999). Also widespread in eastern north America, where it may have been introduced from Fennoscandia (Layberry et al. 1998).
- license
- cc-by-nc
- copyright
- University of Alberta Museums
General Description
provided by University of Alberta Museums
No other Alberta coppers have a metallic, coppery forewing and brown hindwing upperside with a broad orange border. Our subspecies (arethusa) differs substantially from the eastern North American (hypophlaeas) and European (nominate phlaeas) populations in habitat, appearance and ecology, and may be a distinct species.
- license
- cc-by-nc
- copyright
- University of Alberta Museums
Habitat
provided by University of Alberta Museums
Moist mountain meadows, often above tree line.
- license
- cc-by-nc
- copyright
- University of Alberta Museums
Life Cycle
provided by University of Alberta Museums
The immature stages are incompletely known. Mature larvae from the Yukon are green with a pink dorsal stripe and pink below the midline (Guppy & Shepard 2001). The egg or first instar larva overwinters (Guppy & Shepard 2001).
- license
- cc-by-nc
- copyright
- University of Alberta Museums
Trophic Strategy
provided by University of Alberta Museums
Larvae feed on mountain sorrel (Oxyria digyna) in the arctic (Layberry et al. 1998).
- license
- cc-by-nc
- copyright
- University of Alberta Museums
