Purplish Copper (Lycaena helloides) is a small butterfly, with a wingspan of 1.125 to 1.5 inches. A very rare sighting in East Bay, it was recorded in the Garden for the first time in June 2024. In the surrounding area, it can be seen April through November. Numbers are somewhat higher April through June. Hosts plants include Knotweed (Polygonum) and Dock (Rumex) in the Buckwheat family (Polygonaceae), and Cinquefoil in the Rose family (Rosaceae).
Most butterflies lay eggs somewhere on the host plant. Purplish Copper scatters eggs at the base of the host plant, or in litter beneath it.
The name comes from the purplish sheen that can be seen on the upper wing of fresh males.
It is found only in North America, from the Great Lakes area through the northern Midwest and northern plains to British Columbia, and south to Baja California.
