ÿþ<html> <head> <title>Regional Species - Small Copper</title> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <meta name="keywords" content="Small Copper, Lycaena phlaeas"> <meta name="description" content="The Small Copper butterfly in North Wales"> <LINK REL="StyleSheet" HREF="../../branch.css" type="text/css"> <SCRIPT language="JavaScript"> <!-- if (parent.location.href == self.location.href) window.location.href = "../../index.html?species/small_copper/index.html"; // --> </SCRIPT> </head> <body class="background"> <a name="top"></a> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" width="100%"> <tr> <td width="1" bgcolor="#cccccc"><img src="../../images/dot.gif" border="0" width="1" height="1"></td> <td valign="top" class="content"> <blockquote> <SPAN class="page-title">Regional Species</SPAN> <br><br><br> <SPAN class="article-subtitle">Small Copper</SPAN><br><SPAN class="scientific-name">Lycaena phlaeas</SPAN> <br><br> <table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" width="408"> <tr><td><img src="photo_1.jpg" width="400" height="296" alt=" Small Copper" border="2"></td></tr> <tr><td><h5>Photograph by Janet Graham (Harlech Forest)</h5></td></tr> </table> </blockquote> </td> <td valign="top" class="content"> <!-- NAVIGATION ELEMENT - BACK TO SPECIES INDEX PAGE --> <table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td><a href="../index.html" onFocus="this.blur();"><img src="../../images/right.gif" width="19" height="19" border="0"></a></td> <td class="links"><a href="../index.html">Regional Species</a></td> </tr> </table> <br clear="all"> <p>&nbsp;</p> <SPAN class="subtitle">About the Small Copper</SPAN> <p class="content">The Small Copper is undoubtedly less common than formerly but this decline has yet to show up in dot distribution maps as the species is still sufficiently widely distributed to be found somewhere within most 10km squares if enough effort is devoted to searching for it. However, if current trends continue it may not be long before the maps start to look patchy. This butterfly is a species of rough flowery places and is intolerant of heavy stocking levels or land improvement.</p> <p class="content">A double-brooded species, overwintering in the larval stage. Eggs are laid on Sheep s Sorrel (<i>Rumex acetosella</i>) and Common Sorrel (<i>Rumex acetosa</i>). The larvae feed in a manner that leaves a characteristic indication of their presence in that they do not eat all the way through the leaf but leave a thin  window formed by the upper epidermis. </p> <p class="content">An easy butterfly to identify but it is a very fast flyer and on a hot summer day all that may be seen is a streak in one s peripheral vision.</p> <p class="content">&nbsp;</p> <p class="content">Update. 2011 has been an excellent year for the Small Copper with numbers higher than for many years.</p> <p class="content">&nbsp;</p> <p class="content">Further information available from the <a href="http://www.trawsgoed.com/nwleps.aspx?tp=but&Let=S" target="noframe"> NW Lepidoptera Database</a>, including access to detailed records, maps, flight-time charts and photographs.</p> </td> </tr> <tr><td colspan="3" class="sidebar">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="../../images/top.gif" width="10" height="10" hspace="4" border="0"><a href="#top"><SPAN class="thispage">Top of page</SPAN></a> | <a href="../index.html"><SPAN class="thispage">Regional Species</SPAN></a></td></tr> <tr><td colspan="3" align="right"> <table border="0" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="0"><tr><td align="right"><h5><SCRIPT language=JavaScript src="../../_scripts/copyright.js"></SCRIPT></h5></td></tr></table> </td></tr> </table> </body> </html>