Photo © Maurice Pugh
Sooty Copper
Lycaena tityrus
Checklist Number61.0022 [B&F: 1564]
Verification
Record requires retention of specimen until confirmed, and may require dissection. Consult with CMR if unsure
Classification
| Family: | Lycaenidae |
| Subfamily: | Lycaeninae |
| Genus: | Lycaena |
| Species: | tityrus |
| Authority: | (Poda, 1761) |
Common in flower meadows, grassland, woodland edges and rocky areas in mountains throughout much of mainland Europe, but less numerous in the south-west.
There are four records from the British Isles: Ilfracombe, Devon, August 1887, an undated one from near Fife, Scotland, the third in Seaford, East Sussex, in August 1958, and the last at Grand Havre in Guernsey in August 1966. While this species is not considered to be migratory, it is possible that the last two specimens could have been the result of natural dispersal from the continent. While placed in Appendix A, this species may have better credentials for promotion to the Main list than others.
Wingspan 28-32 mm. Larva feeds on Common Sorrel and French Sorrel.
There are four records from the British Isles: Ilfracombe, Devon, August 1887, an undated one from near Fife, Scotland, the third in Seaford, East Sussex, in August 1958, and the last at Grand Havre in Guernsey in August 1966. While this species is not considered to be migratory, it is possible that the last two specimens could have been the result of natural dispersal from the continent. While placed in Appendix A, this species may have better credentials for promotion to the Main list than others.
Wingspan 28-32 mm. Larva feeds on Common Sorrel and French Sorrel.