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Maritime Copper - Lycaena dospassosi
[Maritime Copper image]
Maritime Copper - Wallace Bay NWA, NS - 2011-07-25
Photo © Phil Schappert
Status in Nova Scotia
Rare. Records from the Tidnish area, near the New Brunswick border, along the Northumberland Strait as far east as Brule. The Maritimes Butterfly Atlas S-rank for this species is "S2: Rare: May be vulnerable to extirpation due to rarity or other factors (6 to 20 occurrences or few remaining individuals)".

Flight Period
Late July - early August

Habitat
Salt marshes.

Larval Foodplants
Silverweed Potentilla egedii.

Similar Species in Nova Scotia
Similar to Dorcas Copper but larger.

Notes
This species is found in salt marshes in Quebec and New Brunswick around the Bay of Chaleur, and has recently been located in several salt marshes along the Northumberland Strait in Nova Scotia.

This species is also called the Salt Marsh Copper. It has been split from the Dorcas Copper Lycaena dorcas, but some authors disagree with this and consider it a subspecies of the Dorcas Copper. Layberry uses the name Maritime Copper and considers this a valid species.

Further Reading



Maritime Copper - Three Brooks, Pictou Co. NS, 2012-07-19
Maritime Copper - Three Brooks, Pictou Co. NS - 2012-07-19
2012-07-19
Photo © Phil Schappert
Maritime Copper - Wallace Bay NWA, NS, 2012-07-18
Maritime Copper - Wallace Bay NWA, NS - 2012-07-18
2012-07-18
Photo © Phil Schappert
Maritime Copper - North Wallace Road, 2014-07-20
Maritime Copper - Male - North Wallace Road - 2014-07-20
2014-07-20
Photo © Phil Schappert
Maritime Copper - North Wallace Road, 2014-07-20
Maritime Copper - Male - North Wallace Road - 2014-07-20
2014-07-20
Photo © Phil Schappert
Maritime Copper - North Wallace Road, 2014-07-20
Maritime Copper - Female - North Wallace Road - 2014-07-20
2014-07-20
Photo © Phil Schappert
Maritime Copper - North Wallace Road, 2014-07-20
Maritime Copper - Female - North Wallace Road - 2014-07-20
2014-07-20
Photo © Phil Schappert