genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...
of
butterflies
Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group comprises t ...
. The genus range is
Holarctic
The Holarctic realm is a biogeographic realm that comprises the majority of habitats found throughout the continents in the Northern Hemisphere. It corresponds to the floristic Boreal Kingdom. It includes both the Nearctic zoogeographical regi ...
, with the exception of four species found in New Zealand, two in South Africa, one in
New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; id, Papua, or , historically ) is the world's second-largest island with an area of . Located in Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the wide Torr ...
and one in
Java
Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mo ...
. It is commonly divided into several subgenera, such as '' Antipodolycaena''. Many formerly independent genera are now subsumed within ''Lycaena''; the genus ''Gaiedes'' may also belong here. Many of the subgenera, species groups and species listed here may be
synonym
A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are al ...
s.
Species
Listed alphabetically within groups:''Lycaena'' funet.fi
Subgenus ''Tharsalea'' Scudder, 1876:
*''
Lycaena arota
''Lycaena arota'', the tailed copper, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in North America from New Mexico north and west to Oregon, south to southern California and Baja California, Mexico.
The average wingspan ranges from 30� ...
'' (Boisduval, 1852) – tailed copper
Subgenus ''Chalceria'' Scudder, 1876:
The ''thaeides'' species group:
*'' Lycaena dione'' (Scudder, 1868)
*'' Lycaena editha'' (Mead, 1878) – Edith's copper California, Montana, Wyoming, Nevada
*'' Lycaena gorgon'' (Boisduval, 1852) – gorgon copper Nevada, California, Oregon
*'' Lycaena xanthoides'' (Boisduval, 1852) – great gray copper California
The ''chalceria'' species group:
*'' Lycaena ferrisi'' Johnson & Balogh, 1977 – Ferris' copper Arizona
*''
Lycaena heteronea
The blue copper, also known as ''Lycaena heteronea'', is an American butterfly that belongs to the gossamer-winged family. The butterfly is named so because of the bright blue hue of the upper side of the males' wings. Females are brown on thei ...
'' Boisduval, 1858 – blue copper
*''
Lycaena rubidus
''Lycaena rubidus'', the ruddy copper, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in the western mountains of North America.Lycaena hyllus
''Lycaena hyllus'', the bronze copper, is a butterfly of the lycaenids family found in North America.Jim P. Brock and K. Kaufman. Kaufman Field Guide to Butterflies of North America, New York, NY:Houghton Mifflin, 2003.775
__NOTOC__
Year 775 ( DCCLXXV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 775 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era ...
– bronze copper
The ''epidemia'' species group:
*'' Lycaena dorcas'' Kirby, 1837 – dorcas copper or cinquefoil copper
*'' Lycaena dospassosi'' McDunnough, 1940
*''
Lycaena epixanthe
''Lycaena epixanthe'', the bog copper or cranberry-bog copper, is a North American butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. Adults like to sip drops of dew clinging to leaves and almost exclusively nectar on their host plant, cranberries. Because ...
'' (Boisduval & Leconte,
835
__NOTOC__
Year 835 ( DCCCXXXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian Calendar.
Events
By place Europe
* Ragnar Lodbrok, a Norse Viking ruler, rises to power. He becomes the scourge of ...
Lycaena nivalis
''Lycaena nivalis'', the lilac-bordered copper or nivalis copper,Lycaena mariposa
''Lycaena mariposa'', the mariposa copper, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in western Canada and the United States.Lycaena hermes'' (Edwards, 1870) – Hermes copper
Subgenus ''Antipodolycaena'' Smart, 1975:
*''
Lycaena boldenarum
''Lycaena boldenarum'', the boulder copper, is a species of butterfly which is endemic to New Zealand, it is found on both North Island and South Island in a wide variety of open habitats including grassland, shingle and sand dunes. They are nor ...
'' White, 1862 New Zealand
*'' Lycaena feredayi'' (Bates, 1867) – glade copper
*'' Lycaena rauparaha'' (Fereday, 1877) New Zealand
*'' Lycaena salustius'' (Fabricius, 1793) – common copper
Unnamed subgenus:
The ''heodes'' species group:
*''
Lycaena ottomanus
''Lycaena ottomanus'' is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, North Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, and Turkey. Its natural habitats are temperate ...
Lycaena hippothoe
The purple-edged copper (''Lycaena hippothoe'') is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae.
Sub-species
Subspecies include:
* ''Lycaena hippothoe hippothoe'' ( Linnaeus, 1761)
* ''Lycaena hippothoe stiberi'' (Gerhard, 1853) – Scandinavia, Ura ...
'' (Linnaeus, 1761) – purple-edged copper
Subgenus ''Lycaena'' Fabricius, 1807:
The ''helle'' species group:
*''
Lycaena helle
''Lycaena helle'', the violet copper, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found from the Pyrenees to northern Norway and from Belgium east across the Palearctic to Central Asia, Siberia and Amur.The wingspan
The wingspan (or just ...
Lycaena li
''Lycaena'' is a genus of butterflies. The genus range is Holarctic, with the exception of four species found in New Zealand, two in South Africa, one in New Guinea and one in Java. It is commonly divided into several subgenera, such as '' An ...
'' (Oberthür, 1886) West China
*''
Lycaena ouang
''Lycaena'' is a genus of butterflies. The genus range is Holarctic, with the exception of four species found in New Zealand, two in South Africa, one in New Guinea and one in Java. It is commonly divided into several subgenera, such as '' An ...
'' (Oberthür, 1891) Yunnan
*''
Lycaena pang
''Lycaena'' is a genus of butterflies. The genus range is Holarctic, with the exception of four species found in New Zealand, two in South Africa, one in New Guinea and one in Java. It is commonly divided into several subgenera, such as '' An ...
'' (Oberthür, 1886) West China, Tibet
*''
Lycaena svenhedini
''Lycaena'' is a genus of butterflies. The genus range is Holarctic, with the exception of four species found in New Zealand, two in South Africa, one in New Guinea and one in Java. It is commonly divided into several subgenera, such as '' An ...
'' (Nordström, 1935) China
*''
Lycaena tseng
''Lycaena'' is a genus of butterflies. The genus range is Holarctic, with the exception of four species found in New Zealand, two in South Africa, one in New Guinea and one in Java. It is commonly divided into several subgenera, such as '' An ...
'' (Oberthür, 1886) North Burma to West China
The ''phlaeas'' species group:
*''
Lycaena cupreus
''Lycaena cuprea'', the lustrous copper, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in the western mountains of North America.
Lycaena phlaeas
''Lycaena phlaeas'', the small copper, American copper, or common copper, is a butterfly of the Lycaenids or gossamer-winged butterfly family. According to Guppy and Shepard (2001), its specific name ''phlaeas'' is said to be derived either ...
'' (Linnaeus, 1761) – small copper, common copper, American copper
*''
Lycaena sichuanica
''Lycaena sichuanica'' is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Sichuan in China. The species was described in 2001 and in 2009 the first female specimens were found.
The forewings have an orange ground colour with a broad bord ...
'' Bozano & Weidenhoffer, 2001
The ''thersamolycaena'' species group:
*''
Lycaena aeolus
''Lycaena'' is a genus of butterflies. The genus range is Holarctic, with the exception of four species found in New Zealand, two in South Africa, one in New Guinea and one in Java. It is commonly divided into several subgenera, such as '' An ...
'' Wyatt, 1961 West Pamirs, Afghanistan
*''
Lycaena aeolides
''Lycaena'' is a genus of butterflies. The genus range is Holarctic, with the exception of four species found in New Zealand, two in South Africa, one in New Guinea and one in Java. It is commonly divided into several subgenera, such as '' An ...
'' (Churkin, 1999) Gissar Range, Central Asia
*''
Lycaena alciphron
The purple-shot copper (''Lycaena alciphron'') is a butterfly in the family of the Lycaenidae or copper butterflies and in the genus of the ''Lycaena''.
The coloring of the males and the females is very different, i.e. the sexual dimorphism is v ...
'' (Rottemburg, 1775) – purple-shot copper
*''
Lycaena dispar
The large copper (''Lycaena dispar'') is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. ''L. dispar'' has been commonly arranged into three subspecies: ''L. dispar dispar'', (single-brooded) which was commonly found in England, but is now extinct, ''L. ...
Lycaena aditya
''Lycaena'' is a genus of butterflies. The genus range is Holarctic, with the exception of four species found in New Zealand, two in South Africa, one in New Guinea and one in Java. It is commonly divided into several subgenera, such as ''Antipod ...
'' (Moore,
875
__NOTOC__
Year 875 ( DCCCLXXV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Europe
* August 12 – Emperor Louis II dies in Brescia, after having named his c ...
West Pamirs, Afghanistan, Pakistan, North India
*''
Lycaena alaica
''Lycaena'' is a genus of butterflies. The genus range is Holarctic, with the exception of four species found in New Zealand, two in South Africa, one in New Guinea and one in Java. It is commonly divided into several subgenera, such as '' An ...
'' (Grum-Grshimailo, 1888) Pamirs-Alai,
Gissar Range
Hisar Range ( tg, Қаторкӯҳи Ҳисор; uz, Hisor tizmasi, russian: Гиссарский хребет; uk, Ґаторкугі Гісор; fa, رشتهکوه حصار; also known as Hissar, Hisor, or Gissar Range) is a mountain range ...
, North east Afghanistan
*''
Lycaena alpherakyi
''Lycaena'' is a genus of butterflies. The genus range is Holarctic, with the exception of four species found in New Zealand, two in South Africa, one in New Guinea and one in Java. It is commonly divided into several subgenera, such as '' An ...
'' (Grum-Grshimailo, 1888) East Pamirs, Northwest China
*''
Lycaena attila
''Lycaena'' is a genus of butterflies. The genus range is Holarctic, with the exception of four species found in New Zealand, two in South Africa, one in New Guinea and one in Java. It is commonly divided into several subgenera, such as '' An ...
'' (Zhdanko, 1990)
Zaalaisky Mountains
russian: Заалайский хребет
, etymology =
, photo = Alai Valley 1.jpg
, photo_caption = Trans-Alay Range and Alay Valley
, photo_size = 250
, country = Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan
, state =
, region = Osh Province, Gorno-Badaksh ...
(Trans-Ili Alatau) Central Asia
*''
Lycaena asabinus
''Lycaena'' is a genus of butterflies. The genus range is Holarctic, with the exception of four species found in New Zealand, two in South Africa, one in New Guinea and one in Java. It is commonly divided into several subgenera, such as ''Antipod ...
'' (Herrich-Schäffer,
851
__NOTOC__
Year 851 ( DCCCLI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place Asia
* Bagrat II Bagratuni, Armenian prince and leader of a rebellion against the Abbas ...
Turkey, Transcaucasia, Iran, Armenia
*''
Lycaena hyrcana
''Lycaena'' is a genus of butterflies. The genus range is Holarctic, with the exception of four species found in New Zealand, two in South Africa, one in New Guinea and one in Java. It is commonly divided into several subgenera, such as '' An ...
'' (Neuburger, 1903) North Iran to Central Asia
*'' Lycaena kurdistanica'' (Riley, 1921) Armenia, Northeast Turkey, West Iran
*''
Lycaena lampon
''Lycaena'' is a genus of butterflies. The genus range is Holarctic, with the exception of four species found in New Zealand, two in South Africa, one in New Guinea and one in Java. It is commonly divided into several subgenera, such as '' Antipo ...
'' Lederer,
870
__NOTOC__
Year 870 ( DCCCLXX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place Europe
* August 8 – Treaty of Meerssen: King Louis the German forces his half-brothe ...
Lycaena ochimus
''Lycaena'' is a genus of butterflies. The genus range is Holarctic, with the exception of four species found in New Zealand, two in South Africa, one in New Guinea and one in Java. It is commonly divided into several subgenera, such as '' An ...
'' (Herrich-Schäffer,
851
__NOTOC__
Year 851 ( DCCCLI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place Asia
* Bagrat II Bagratuni, Armenian prince and leader of a rebellion against the Abbas ...
Lycaena phoebus
''Lycaena'' is a genus of butterflies. The genus range is Holarctic, with the exception of four species found in New Zealand, two in South Africa, one in New Guinea and one in Java. It is commonly divided into several subgenera, such as '' An ...
'' (Blachier, 1905) – Moroccan copper Morocco
*''
Lycaena solskyi
''Lycaena'' is a genus of butterflies. The genus range is Holarctic, with the exception of four species found in New Zealand, two in South Africa, one in New Guinea and one in Java. It is commonly divided into several subgenera, such as '' An ...
'' Erschoff, 1874 Pamirs to Alay Mountains, Gissar Range,
Darvaz Range
The Darvaz Range or Darvoz Range ( tg, пуштаи Дарвоз) is a mountain range in the Western Pamirs, in Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region of Tajikistan. Its name derives from the historical region of Darvaz. ''Great Soviet Encyclopedia' ...
, Tian-Shan, Kashmir, Samarkand
*''
Lycaena thersamon
''Lycaena thersamon'', the lesser fiery copper, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found from Eastern Europe, Italy and South-East Europe to Mongolia and North-Western China.
The wingspan is 14–16 mm. The butterfly fli ...
'' (Esper, 1784) – lesser fiery copper
*'' Lycaena thetis'' Klug, 1834 – fiery copper or golden copper
The ''phoenicurusia'' species group:
*''
Lycaena margelanica
''Lycaena'' is a genus of butterflies. The genus range is Holarctic, with the exception of four species found in New Zealand, two in South Africa, one in New Guinea and one in Java. It is commonly divided into several subgenera, such as '' An ...
'' (Staudinger, 1881) South Tajikistan to Tien-Shan, Gissar Range, Darvaz, Alay, West Pamir,
Babatag
Babadag (; tr, Babadağ, "Father Mountain"), formerly known as Babatag, is a town in Tulcea County, Romania, located on a small lake formed by the river Taița, in the densely wooded highlands of Northern Dobruja. One of the several tomb ...
,
Karatau
Karatau ( kz, Қаратау, ''Qaratau'') is an administrative center in the Talas region located in the Jambyl Region in the south of Kazakhstan. It has an estimated population of roughly 30,000 in 1999. , the population is now 27,667. The la ...
, Teriklitau, Rangontau, Zailiisky Alatau, Lake Issyk-Kul mountains
The ''hyrcanana'' species group:
*''
Lycaena caspius
''Lycaena'' is a genus of butterflies. The genus range is Holarctic, with the exception of four species found in New Zealand, two in South Africa, one in New Guinea and one in Java. It is commonly divided into several subgenera, such as '' An ...
'' (Lederer, 1869) Kopet-Dagh, Gissar Range, North Iran, Afghanistan
*''
Lycaena ophion
''Lycaena'' is a genus of butterflies. The genus range is Holarctic, with the exception of four species found in New Zealand, two in South Africa, one in New Guinea and one in Java. It is commonly divided into several subgenera, such as '' An ...
'' Hemming, 1933 Kopet-Dagh, Gissar Range to Darvaz Tadzhikistan
*''
Lycaena pamira
''Lycaena'' is a genus of butterflies. The genus range is Holarctic, with the exception of four species found in New Zealand, two in South Africa, one in New Guinea and one in Java. It is commonly divided into several subgenera, such as '' An ...
'' (Nekrutenko, 1983)
*'' Lycaena sartha'' (Staudinger, 1886) Gissar Range to Darvaz, Pamirs to Alay mountains, Northeast Afghanistan
*''
Lycaena sultan
''Lycaena'' is a genus of butterflies. The genus range is Holarctic, with the exception of four species found in New Zealand, two in South Africa, one in New Guinea and one in Java. It is commonly divided into several subgenera, such as '' Antipo ...
'' (Lang, 1884) West Gissar Range (Zeravshansky, Ghissarsky, Baisuntau, Fanskie)
Unknown species group:
*''
Lycaena bathinia
''Lycaena'' is a genus of butterflies. The genus range is Holarctic, with the exception of four species found in New Zealand, two in South Africa, one in New Guinea and one in Java. It is commonly divided into several subgenera, such as '' An ...
'' Snellen, 1899 dubious Java
*''
Lycaena clarki
''Lycaena clarki'', the eastern sorrel copper, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found only in South Africa.
The wingspan is 21–27 mm in males and 22–30 mm in females. The butterfly flies year-round, peaking in summer ...
'' Dickson, 1971 – eastern sorrel copper
*''
Lycaena evansii
''Lycaena'' is a genus of butterflies. The genus range is Holarctic, with the exception of four species found in New Zealand, two in South Africa, one in New Guinea and one in Java. It is commonly divided into several subgenera, such as '' An ...
'' (de Nicéville, 1902) Kashmir, Chitral
*''
Lycaena kasyapa
''Lycaena kasyapa'', the green copper, is a small butterfly found in India that belongs to the lycaenids or blues family. The species was first described by Frederic Moore in 1865.
See also
*List of butterflies of India
The following is a l ...
'' (Moore, 1865) – green copper
*''
Lycaena orus
''Lycaena orus'', the western sorrel copper, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found only in South Africa ( Eastern Cape Province, Western Cape Province). The habitat consists of fynbos at various altitudes, from sea level to monta ...
'' (Stoll,
780
__NOTOC__
Year 780 ( DCCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 780 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Eur ...
– western sorrel copper
*''
Lycaena ottomanus
''Lycaena ottomanus'' is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, North Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, and Turkey. Its natural habitats are temperate ...
'' (Lefèbvre, 1830)
*''
Lycaena pallida
''Lycaena'' is a genus of butterflies. The genus range is Holarctic, with the exception of four species found in New Zealand, two in South Africa, one in New Guinea and one in Java. It is commonly divided into several subgenera, such as '' Antipo ...
'' Miskin, 1891 New Guinea
*''
Lycaena panava
''Lycaena'' is a genus of butterflies. The genus range is Holarctic, with the exception of four species found in New Zealand, two in South Africa, one in New Guinea and one in Java. It is commonly divided into several subgenera, such as '' Antipo ...
'' (Westwood, 1852)
*'' Lycaena pavana'' (Kollar, 844 – white-bordered copper North India
*''
Lycaena standfussi
''Lycaena'' is a genus of butterflies. The genus range is Holarctic, with the exception of four species found in New Zealand, two in South Africa, one in New Guinea and one in Java. It is commonly divided into several subgenera, such as '' Antipo ...
'' (Grum-Grshimailo, 1891) West China, Tibet
*''
Lycaena susanus
''Lycaena'' is a genus of butterflies. The genus range is Holarctic, with the exception of four species found in New Zealand, two in South Africa, one in New Guinea and one in Java. It is commonly divided into several subgenera, such as '' Antipo ...
Lycaena zariaspa
''Lycaena'' is a genus of butterflies. The genus range is Holarctic, with the exception of four species found in New Zealand, two in South Africa, one in New Guinea and one in Java. It is commonly divided into several subgenera, such as '' Antipo ...
'' (Moore, 1874) West Himalayas, Kashmir, Northwest India
Consortium for the Barcode of Life
The Consortium for the Barcode of Life (CBOL) was an international initiative dedicated to supporting the development of DNA barcoding as a global standard for species identification. CBOL's Secretariat Office is hosted by the National Museum of ...