Male (distinguished by lack of pattern on dorsal wing surface). Ten mile marker, North Main Divide Road, Cleveland National Forest. 6/23/2014. © Robert Gorman.

Tailed Copper

Lycaena arota

Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae

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Female (distinguished by pattern on dorsal wing surface). Ten mile marker, North Main Divide Road, Cleveland National Forest. 6/23/2014. © Robert Gorman.

Male (distinguished by lack of pattern on dorsal wing surface). Ten mile marker, North Main Divide Road, Cleveland National Forest. 6/23/2014. © Robert Gorman.

Male (distinguished by lack of pattern on dorsal wing surface). Ten mile marker, North Main Divide Road, Cleveland National Forest. 6/23/2014. © Robert Gorman.

Male (distinguished by lack of pattern on dorsal wing surface). Ten mile marker, North Main Divide Road, Cleveland National Forest. 6/23/2014. © Robert Gorman.

Male (distinguished by lack of pattern on dorsal wing surface). Ten mile marker, North Main Divide Road, Cleveland National Forest. 6/23/2014. © Robert Gorman.

Male (distinguished by lack of pattern on dorsal wing surface). Ten mile marker, North Main Divide Road, Cleveland National Forest. 6/23/2014. © Robert Gorman.

(The "de-tailed"copper!). Silverado Canyon, Orange County, CA. 6/12/13. © Ron Hemberger

(The "de-tailed"copper!). Silverado Canyon, Orange County, CA. 6/12/13. © Ron Hemberger

Characteristics: The tail-like projection on the hindwing should distinguish this species from similarly colored "coppers". Forewing length: 12-14 mm.

Similar Species: The Tailed Copper might be mistaken by beginning lepidopterists for Lycaena gorgon or L. xanthoides, but arota is actually quite distinct from our other locally occurring coppers.

Habitats, Behavior: This species frequently nectars at buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum) blossoms. The adults often stop to sip water and other nutrients from wet sand or mud along streams (a phenomenon known as "puddling"). Easy to catch, the males often perch on branches of manzanita and the like, which grow beside open paths or roads. Emmel and Emmel (1973) observe territoriality in this species, although no butterfly is actually known to "hold" a territory against intruders in the way that territorial vertebrates do. Rather, the butterfly simply perches in a strategic area and investigates passing objects, in "hopes" that the passer-by is a receptive female Tailed Copper.

Distribution: The Tailed Copper is found in the large canyons of the Santa Ana Mountains--Silverado, Black Star and Trabuco. It has also been found at higher elevations, e.g. Modjeska Peak. It seems rather scarce or absent, however, on the northeast and southeast slopes of these mountains. In Orange County, arota ssp. ranges from an elevation of 1200 feet up to nearly 5500 feet. It is most common, however, in canyons at elevations from 2000 to 4000 feet. The larval foodplant grows in the coastaland inland foothills but arota is apparently absent from these areas.

Flight Period: Records indicate one brood flying from late May into July.

Larval Foodplant: Gooseberry or currant (Ribes spp.). In Orange County, the larvae probably feed on Ribes californicum var. Plum and/or Ribes roezlii (of occasional occurrence in riparian woodland and mountains). R. roezlii is found as high as Santiago Peak and this might account for occasional captures at higher elevations. The Tailed Copper could conceivably utilize Ribes speciosum and /or Ribes amarum, both of which are very common in the Santa Ana Mountains. An enterprising lepidopterist might document the species of Ribes actually utilized by Orange County populations.

Other Remarks: This Copper is often the most abundant butterfly in upper Silverado Canyon in late June. In the early morning it is easily netted near the stream. Unknown limiting factors have prevented arota from becoming very common south of the Santa Ana Mountains as it is apparently quite scarce in San Diego County. Males of this species emerge one or more weeks before the females. The male larvae seem to grow faster and pupate earlier than the females (Theodore Hower, personal communication); this probably explains their staggered emergence. Hower's rearing experiments in 1947-48 indicate that photoperiod is not of primary importance for initiating emergence (since adults emerged in March). Perhaps temperature is the factor regulating diapause in the egg stage.

I am unsure as to what subspecies our Orange County populations should be assigned. Emmel and Emmel (1973) feel that Orange County specimens are nominate arota, and that the darker subspecies nubila is limited in distribution to the area from Mt. Wilson (San Gabriel Mountains) to Griffith Park in the Santa Monica Mountains and over to the hills above Malibu (Rustic Canyon, Malibu Lake). The type locality for nubila is Griffith Park. I feel, however, that Orange County specimens resemble nubila more than nominate arota, (which has more extensive orange markings on the dorsal wing of the female).

From Orsak, L. J. (1977). The Butterflies of Orange County, California. Center for Pathobiology Miscellaneous Publication #3. University of California Press, New York. 349pp.

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