The Butterflies of the World Foundation

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Lycaena dione, Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge, Ward County, North Dakota, 18 July 2004                                                                                        Ref #:  I-279-15.2

Gray Copper

Lycaena dione, Scudder, 1868

Subfamily Lycaeninae

Taxonomy

The family Lycaenidae is a large and varied worldwide group that has 4,000 to 6,000 species depending on the ever-changing taxonomic flux.  They are collectively called Gossamer Butterflies or Gossamer Wings.  The family is further divided into eight subfamilies.  The first is the Theclinae which includes the Hairstreaks, Sunstreaks, Elfins and others.  The second is the Polyommatinae which includes the Blues, Azures, Arguses, Caeruleans and others.  The third subfamily is the Lycaeninae which includes the Coppers, Sapphires, Silverlines and others.  The forth is the Poritiinae which includes the gems.  The fifth is the Miletinae which includes the Brownies, Harvesters, Darkies, Apeflies and others.  The sixth is the Curetinae which includes the Sunbeams.  The seventh family is the Lipteninae which includes about 500 tropical rainforest gossamer wings.  The eighth and final subfamily is the Liphyrinae and includes the Moth Butterflies.

Lycaena dione, Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge, Ward County, North Dakota, 18 July 2004                                                                                        Ref #:  I-279-11.7

Lycaena dione, Square Butte, Little Missouri National Grassland, Golden Valley County, North Dakota, 21 May 2004                                                            Ref #:  I-273-1.6

Lycaena dione, near Welda Preserve, Anderson County, Kansas, 15 June 2009

                                                                                                Ref #:  I-423-20

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General Information:

Lycaena dione belongs to the subfamily Lycaeninae.  It is found throughout the central and northern prairie states up to south-central Canada.  Almost any wet area growing its larval food plant, dock, could have these butterflies, including roadside ditches and pastures.

Lifecycle:

The larval food plant for this species is dock.  It flies in summer with one brood.

Lycaena dione, Square Butte, Little Missouri National Grassland, Golden Valley County, North Dakota, 21 May 2004                                                            Ref #:  I-273-5.2