CreatureData

Scarce copper

Lycaena virgaureae (Linnaeus, 1758)

Status not recordedbutterflies and moths

The scarce copper (Lycaena virgaureae) is a species in the family Lycaenidae, order Lepidoptera.

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Quick facts about the scarce copper

Weight
Not recorded
Length
Not recorded
Wingspan
2.3 cm – 3.2 cm
Lifespan
Not recorded
Diet
Nectarivore
Main food
flowers
Habitat
forest, grassland, shrubland
Young per litter or clutch
Not recorded
Active
By day (diurnal)
On the wing
June to October
Generations a year
One
Larval food plants
Polygonaceae family
Conservation status
Not recorded
Countries on record
Not recorded

How big is the scarce copper?

SCARCE COPPER · WINGSPAN 3.2 CMADULT HUMAN · HEIGHT 1.7 M
At 3.2 cm, the recorded maximum wingspan of the scarce copper is about 1.9% of the height of an adult human (1.7 m, a fixed reference used for scale).

Where does the scarce copper live?

Not recorded

Is the scarce copper endangered?

No conservation assessment is recorded for this species in our sources. That is not the same as being safe: it has not been matched to an assessment.

How is the scarce copper classified?

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumArthropoda
  3. classInsecta
  4. orderLepidoptera
  5. familyLycaenidae
  6. genusLycaena
  7. SpeciesLycaena virgaureae (Linnaeus, 1758)

Synonyms Argus virgaureae, Chrysophanus alba, Chrysophanus alexandrae, Chrysophanus caucasica, Chrysophanus chryzon, Chrysophanus elongata, Chrysophanus guttata, Chrysophanus inalpinus, Chrysophanus lateradiata, Chrysophanus lunulata, Chrysophanus parallela, Chrysophanus paucipuncta, Chrysophanus pleuripuncta, Chrysophanus punctifera, Chrysophanus sincera, Chrysophanus virgaureae, Chrysophanus virginalis, Heodes virgaureae, Lycaena balcanicola, Lycaena caeruleopunctata, Lycaena estonica, Lycaena oranula, Lycaena subtusrufomarginata, Lycaena voelschowi, Papilio virgaureae, Polyommatus cuneifera, Polyommatus estonica, Polyommatus virgaureae

Other names and names in other languages (38)
  • فراشة النحاس النادرArabic
  • Coure roentCatalan
  • ohniváček celíkovýCzech
  • Copor PrinWelsh
  • IldfuglDanish
  • DukatenfalterGerman
  • Manto de OroSpanish
  • Valgetäpp-kuldtiibEstonian
  • tummakultasiipiFinnish
  • Argus satinéFrench
  • Aranyos tűzlepkeHungarian
  • Licena della verga d'oroItalian
  • フチグロベニシジミJapanese
  • 검은테주홍부전나비Korean
  • Ugninis auksinukasLithuanian
  • oransjegullvingeNorwegian Bokmål
  • MorgenroodDutch
  • oransjegullvengNorwegian Nynorsk
  • Czerwończyk dukacikPolish
  • اڈدی اگWestern Panjabi
  • Acobreada-dos-lameirosPortuguese
  • Червонец огненныйRussian
  • ohniváčik zlatobyľovýSlovak
  • zlati cekinčekSlovenian
  • vitfläckig guldvingeSwedish
  • Orman Bakır GüzeliTurkish
  • Дукачик обоченьUkrainian
  • Coprau PrinWelsh
  • DukatfuglDanish
  • DukatsommerfuglDanish
  • Gylden ildsommerfuglDanish
  • Gyldenris-sommerfuglDanish
  • Dukaten-FeuerfalterGerman
  • Lycaena virgaureaeSpanish
  • loistokultasiipiFinnish
  • Cuivré de la Verge d'orFrench
  • Cuivré de la verge-d'orFrench
  • Многоглазка огненнаяRussian

Catalogue of Life

Relatives of the scarce copper

Other species in the same genus Lycaena.

CompareScarce copper vs American copperScarce copper vs Large copperScarce copper vs Purple-edged copperScarce copper vs Pepe Pora riki

Common questions

Answered only where our data holds the answer.

How big is the scarce copper?

An adult scarce copper has a wingspan of 2.3 cm – 3.2 cm, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

What does the scarce copper eat?

Its recorded main food is flowers.

What kind of animal is the scarce copper?

The scarce copper (Lycaena virgaureae) belongs to the family Lycaenidae in the order Lepidoptera.

Sources and how to cite this page

Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.

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APA

CreatureData. (2026). Scarce copper (Lycaena virgaureae). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/scarce-copper

MLA

“Scarce copper (Lycaena virgaureae).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/scarce-copper.

BibTeX
@misc{scarce_copper_2026,
  title = {Scarce copper (Lycaena virgaureae)},
  author = {{CreatureData}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/scarce-copper},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}