Klug, 1834
Fiery Copper
Description:
In flight, with the rich orange-red of the upperside of their wings, Fiery Copper males do honour to their name. However, with their wings folded, they are difficult to see. It is a mountain butterfly, often seen near the tree-line, in rocky, calcareous areas with low-growing open vegetation. The food plant Prickly Thrift (Acantholimon androsaceum) is a member of the Plumbaginaceae. The choice of a species of this family is remarkable, as all other copper butterflies have Polygonaceae species as larval food plants. The Fiery Copper is often seen with the Odd-spot Blue (Turanana endymion), as both use Prickly Thrift as larval food plant.
Habitat:
Dry calcareous grasslands
Phrygana vegetation
Deciduous forests
Similar species:
Lycaena virgaureae
Lycaena dispar
Lycaena ottomanus