Applegater Fall 2014
13
Butterflies to enjoy
before winter
by linda KaPPen
Blue Copper
The Blue Copper (Lycaena heteronea)
is of the butterfly family Lycaenidae. Its
habitat is open mountain meadows to
higher elevation ridges and slopes. Blue
Coppers can be seen flying as early as
May through September with July usually
the peak of their flight. In our local
Siskiyous I have observed them through
late September.
The Blue Copper butterfly is
one of the larger lycaenids with the
male having a bright blue color on open
wing. The wings have a thin black border
fringed with white edges and veins outlined
in black. This arrangement makes for a
simply beautiful butterfly indeed. Males
will flitter about patrolling for females
while visiting flowers and mud.
On open wing, the female Blue
Copper shows a soft dark tan color with
black spots and a very white-fringed
border. Both males and females will rest
with wings open revealing their beauty.
The host plants for this butterfly are
different species of Eriogonum, commonly
named buckwheats. Females have been
observed ovipositing (laying) eggs on the
flowers of the host plants rather than on the
stalks or leaves. Eggs will diapause over the
winter, producing one generation.
In their mid to high-mountain
habitats, Blue Coppers like to nectar on
their larval host plants and other plants
such as asters, yarrow, rabbit brush, fiddle-
necks or milkweeds.
I will still be looking for this species
in early fall when on outings, hoping to see
their beauty one more time before winter.
The fun part is they can be seen almost
anywhere in our Siskiyou mountains.
Milbert’s Tortoiseshell
Milbert’s Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis
milberti) is of the butterfly family
Nymphalidae. With its flame-colored
bands, deep mahogany middle and bright
blue crescents on the edges, this butterfly
is unique in color and stunning beauty.
With these markings, it is also known as
the Fire-rim Tortoiseshell, although in
southern Oregon I have heard it referred
to only as Milbert’s Tortoiseshell. You will
find it throughout the Pacific Northwest.
This butter fly hibernates
through winter in tree holes, hollow
logs, under bark and in barns and other
outbuildings. Like the Mourning Cloak,
some individuals can live up to 10 or 11
months and can be seen flying almost any
day of the year during warm spells.
The host plant is stinging nettles
where eggs are laid in large clusters under
leaves. Up to 900 eggs have been recorded
in clusters. These butterflies can have up
to two broods.
In spring, Milbert’s Tortoiseshells can
be seen on wing at lower elevations of the
Applegate Valley, then at high mountain
elevations in summer where they live
nectaring on coyote mint, asters, dogbane
and others. Then, as fall approaches, they
descend to lower elevations to hibernate
Blue Copper male on lupine
during the coldest winter
months.
Seeing a Milbert’s
Tortoiseshell as it sits
on the ground with open
wings is almost like
discovering your favorite
semiprecious stone. (On
closed wing it resembles bark.)
Most likely, you will do a
double take, then watch it
for as long as you can if you
are lucky enough to find one Blue Copper female on host plant eriogonum
willing to sit around. Late
last summer I was able to sit on
a rock in the middle of a patch of
dogbane while some butterflies
and Milberts nectared, carefully
capturing as many photos as I
could of this rare occasion. I will
be sure to return soon to capture
even better photos.
Linda Kappen
humbugkapps@hotmail.com
Ed. Note: The author earned
a naturalist certification from
Siskiyou Field Institute and hosts
two-day butterfly courses there. Milbert’s Tortoiseshell on dogbane flowers
All butterfly photos by Linda Kappen.
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