''Lycaena mariposa'', the mariposa copper, is a

butterfly Butterflies are winged insects from the lepidopteran superfamily Papilionoidea, characterized by large, often brightly coloured wings that often fold together when at rest, and a conspicuous, fluttering flight. The oldest butterfly fossi ...

of the family

Lycaenidae Lycaenidae is the second-largest family (biology), family of butterflies (behind Nymphalidae, brush-footed butterflies), with over 6,000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies. They constitute about 30% of ...

. It is found in western Canada and the United States.Mariposa Copper
Butterflies of Canada The

wingspan The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the opposite wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingsp ...

is 23–28 mm. Adults are on wing from mid-July to August. The larvae feed on '' Vaccinium arbuscula'' and '' Polygonum douglasii''.

Subspecies

* '' Lycaena mariposa penroseae'' * '' Lycaena mariposa charlottensis''

References

mariposa Butterflies of North America Taxa named by Tryon Reakirt Butterflies described in 1866 {{Lycaeninae-stub