Lycaena salustius
Encyclopedia
The Common Copper is a butterfly
of the Lycaenidae
family. It is found in New Zealand
.
The wingspan
is 24–35 mm. Adults are on wing from October to April.
The larvae feed on Muehlenbeckia
species.
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
of the Lycaenidae
Lycaenidae
The Lycaenidae are the second-largest family of butterflies, with about 6000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies...
family. It is found in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 24–35 mm. Adults are on wing from October to April.
The larvae feed on Muehlenbeckia
Muehlenbeckia
Muehlenbeckia or the Maidenhair genus is native to the southern hemisphere, especially South America, Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand and has been introduced both by birds and cultivation to temperate locales north of the equator. Some are tiny alpine mat-forming plants whereas others...
species.