BC Conservation Data Centre: Species Summary
Lycaena nivalis
Lilac-bordered Copper
| Scientific Name: | Lycaena nivalis (Boisduval, 1869) | ||||||||||
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| English Name: | Lilac-bordered Copper | ||||||||||
| Classification / Taxonomy | |||||||||||
| Scientific Name - Concept Reference: | Pelham, J. P. 2008. A catalogue of the butterflies of the United States and Canada with a complete bibliography of the descriptive and systematic literature. The Journal of Research on the Lepidoptera. Volume 40. 658 pp. Revised 14 February, 2012. | ||||||||||
| Classification Level: | Species | ||||||||||
| Species Group: | Invertebrate Animal | ||||||||||
| Species Code: | LE-LYCNIV | ||||||||||
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| Conservation Status / Legal Designation | |||||||||||
| Global Status: | G4G5 (Oct 2023) | ||||||||||
| Provincial Status: | S3 (Feb 2020) | ||||||||||
| BC List: | Blue | ||||||||||
| Provincial FRPA list: | |||||||||||
| Provincial Wildlife Act: | |||||||||||
| COSEWIC Status: | |||||||||||
| SARA Schedule: | |||||||||||
| General Status Canada: | 6 - Not Assessed (2000) | ||||||||||
| Ecology & Life History | |||||||||||
| General Description: | |||||||||||
| Subspecies Comments: | The subspecies in BC is Lycaena nivalis browni dos Passos, 1938. No other subspecies occur in BC. | ||||||||||
| Identification Comments: | The species has a lilac-coloured border on the outer half of the ventral hindwing. The species lacks the black spots found on most coppers and blues (Guppy and Shepard 2001). For further identification information refer to Guppy and Shepard (2001) and Layberry et al. (1998). | ||||||||||
| Migration Characteristics: (Global / Provincial) | |||||||||||
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Nonmigrant: Local Migrant: Distant Migrant: Within Borders Migrant: |
N / Y N / N N / N na / N |
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| Habitats: (Type / Subtype / Dependence) |
Forest / Conifer Forest - Dry / Facultative - frequent use
Forest / Deciduous/Broadleaf Forest / Facultative - occasional use Forest / Mixed Forest (deciduous/coniferous mix) / Facultative - occasional use Grassland/Shrub / Antelope-brush Steppe / Facultative - frequent use Grassland/Shrub / Grassland / Facultative - frequent use Grassland/Shrub / Meadow / Facultative - frequent use Grassland/Shrub / Sagebrush Steppe / Facultative - frequent use Riparian / Gravel Bar / Facultative - occasional use Riparian / Riparian Forest / Facultative - occasional use Riparian / Riparian Herbaceous / Facultative - occasional use Riparian / Riparian Shrub / Facultative - occasional use |
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| Global Habitat Comments: | This species is found in montane areas from 300 to 2200 meters in meadows, riparian areas, hillsides, canyons, forest edges, and high sage steppe (Pyle and LaBar 2018). | ||||||||||
| Provincial Habitat Comments: | Lilac-bordered Copper occurs in the south Okanagan valley eastward to Grand Forks area. Habitat includes dry flowering meadows and forest clearings in the mountains, streamsides and sage flats in the interior valleys of British Columbia. These habitats are threatened by land conversion (urban and rural development) resulting in fragmentation, invasive species, over grazing by domestic livestock and widespread pesticide use. This species is also found in open areas; open forest; sagebrush hillsides; and rocky valley floors. Adults are often found on Erigonum species, which is the nectar source (Guppy and Shepard 2001). | ||||||||||
| Food Habits: |
Herbivore:Immature
Nectarivore: Adult |
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| Global Food Habits Comments: | The larval host is Douglas' knotweed (Polygonum douglasii) in the buckwheat family (Polygonaceae); adults nectar on various flowers (Pyle and LaBar 2018). | ||||||||||
| Provincial Food Habits Comments: | Adults are known to nectar on Erigonum species (Guppy and Shepard 2001). Larvae have been recorded feeding on Polygonum douglasii and Rumex species (Guppy and Shepard 2001). | ||||||||||
| Global Phenology: | |||||||||||
| Provincial Phenology: (1st half of month/ 2nd half of month) |
Jan: Eggs present outside adult / Eggs present outside adult
Feb: Eggs present outside adult / Eggs present outside adult Mar: Larvae present and active / Larvae present and active Apr: Larvae present and active / Larvae present and active May: Larvae present and active / Reproducing June: Reproducing / Reproducing July: Reproducing / Eggs present outside adult Aug: Reproducing / Eggs present outside adult Sept: Eggs present outside adult / Eggs present outside adult Oct: Eggs present outside adult / Eggs present outside adult Nov: Eggs present outside adult / Eggs present outside adult Dec: Eggs present outside adult / Eggs present outside adult |
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| Provincial Phenology Comments: | Flight period from late May to mid August, overwinters as an egg, larvae hatch following spring (Guppy and Shepard 2001). | ||||||||||
| Colonial Breeder: | N | ||||||||||
| Length(cm)/width(cm)/Weight(g): | / / | ||||||||||
| Elevation (m) (min / max): |
Global:
Provincial: 509 / 984 |
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| Distribution | |||||||||||
| Endemic: | N | ||||||||||
| Global Range Comment: | This species occurs in British Columbia, Canada and in the United States in and west of the Rocky Mountains, from Washington to Montana, south to Colorado and west to the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California (GBIF 2023). | ||||||||||
| Authors / Contributors | |||||||||||
| Global Information Author: | T. Cornelisse | ||||||||||
| Last Updated: | Oct 30, 2023 | ||||||||||
| Provincial Information Author: | Heron, J. | ||||||||||
| Last Updated: | Aug 01, 2008 | ||||||||||
| References and Related Literature | |||||||||||
British Columbia Conservation Data Centre. 2020. Element Subnational Ranking Form in Biotics 5 database. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. |
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Guppy, C.S., and J.H. Shepard. 2001. Butterflies of British Columbia. UBC Press in collaboration with Royal B.C. Mus. 414pp. |
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Layberry, R. A., P. W. Hall, and J. D. LaFontaine. 1998. The butterflies of Canada. University of Toronto Press. 280pp. + color plates. |
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Pyle, R.M. and C.C. LaBar. 2018. Butterflies of the Pacific Northwest. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon. 462 pp. |
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Please visit the website Conservation Status Ranks for definitions of the data fields used in this summary report.
Suggested Citation:
B.C. Conservation Data Centre. 2023. Species Summary: Lycaena nivalis. B.C. Minist. of Environment. Available: https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/ (accessed Jun 5, 2026).