Bronze Copper
(Tharsalea hyllus)
Coppers
Appearance: Above, male is brown with a purplish sheen and an orange marginal hindwing band. Female forewing is pale orange with a brown border, also with an orange marginal hindwing band. Below, hindwing is light gray with an orange marginal band and the forewing is orange with a row of black spots bordering a white marginal area.
Wingspan: Small; 1 1/4 to 1 7/8 inches.
Habitat: Wet areas in meadows, near streams, swamps, and pond edges; plains, foothills.
Flight Times: Mid-June to September; two broods. Eggs hibernate.
Larval Foodplant: Docks and knotweeds.
Did You Know…
This species appears to be moving west over the Continental Divide to agricultural and wetland areas (Opler, 1999).
