American Copper

"A bright flash of orange announces this whirling dervish," writes Jeffrey Glassberg in his introduction to the American Copper in his go-to field guide, Butterflies through Binoculars, and that pretty much sums it up for this little critter I found nectaring on a Black-eyed Susan. I hadn't seen one of these pint-sized lepidopterans, which are about the same size as our Hairstreaks and Pearl Crescents, in a couple of years, although they're considered to be quite common. I just probably wasn't walking in the right spots. In our area, they have three overlapping broods, so their peaks in abundance occur in the spring, summer, and fall; how I've managed to miss them has got to be put down to bad luck and bad timing. The last American Coppers I photographed were along the edge of a corn field in early September 2012 on a bike trip; this one was by the side of the road on my walking route. However and wherever I've discovered them, Lycaena phlaeas, which may or may not be a native American species—the jury is out on this matter—is a show-stopper... and a must-stop photo op.